The Procter Gamble Company

Trevor Walker

Gerald A Young

Todd Leon Mansfield

Stephen Allen Goldman

Manfred Plischke

Herbert Louis Retzsch

Nancy A Haynes

Paul Thomas Weisman

David W Cawlfield

Allen Dale Early

Absorbent members useful in the containment of body fluids such as urine, that have at least one region containing hydrogel-forming absorbent polymer in a concentration of from about 60 to 100% by weight and providing a gel-continuous fluid transportation zone when in a swollen state. This hydrogel-forming absorbent polymer has: (a) a Saline Flow Conductivity (SFC) value of at least about 30.times.10.sup.-7 cm.sup.3 sec/g; (b) a Performance under Pressure (PUP) capacity value of at least about 23 g/g under a confining pressure of 0.7 psi (5 kPa); and (c) a basis weight of at least about 10 gsm. In addition, the region where this hydrogel-forming absorbent polymer is present has, even when subjected to normal use conditions, sufficient wet integrity such that the gel-continuous zone substantially maintains its ability to acquire and transport body fluids through the gel-continuous zone.

Absorbent members for body fluids having good wet integrity and

Fibrous absorbent webs having a low density (about 0.01 g/cm.sup.3 to about 0.15 g/cm.sup.3) and comprising at least about 50% hydrophilic microfibers, such as cellulose microfibers, having a diameter of from about 0.01 microns to about 15 microns possess superior absorption properties, especially under typical usage conditions. Hydrophobic microfibers may also be used, provided such fibers are hydrophilized before or after web formation.

Hydrophilic microfibrous absorbent webs

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Trevor Walker