INDIVIDUALIZED CELLULOSIC FIBERS CROSSLINKED WITH POLYACRYLIC ACID POLYMERS

• Main Authors: HERRON, CARLISLE MITCHELL, DEAN, WALTER LEE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 07.11.2000
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: APPARATUS THEREFOR; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; BRAIDING; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, ORSURGICAL ARTICLES; COTTON-WOOL; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION, OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS,NON-WOVEN FABRICS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FOMENTATION; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; KNITTING; LACE-MAKING; LAUNDERING; MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARYMATERIAL; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, OR SURGICALARTICLES; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS INGENERAL; NON-WOVEN FABRICS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PAPER-MAKING; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE; PRODUCTION OF CELLULOSE BY REMOVING NON-CELLULOSE SUBSTANCESFROM CELLULOSE-CONTAINING MATERIALS; PROSTHESES; REGENERATION OF PULPING LIQUORS; TEXTILES; TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS,FABRICS, FEATHERS, OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS; TRIMMINGS; WADDING

Disclosed are individualized, crosslinked fibers, and processes for making such fibers, and absorbent structures containing the fibers. The individualized, crosslinked fibers have a polymeric polyacrylic acid crosslinking agent reacted with the fibers in the form of intrafiber crosslink bonds. Preferably, the crosslinking agent is a copolymer of acrylic acid and maleic acid and preferably, between about 1.0 weight % and about 10.0 weight % of the crosslinking agent reacts with the individualized fibers to form the intrafiber crosslink bonds. The individualized, crosslinked fibers are useful in a variety of absorbent structure applications. The absorbent structures may also contain hydrogel-forming material.