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A soft, flexible, low-density, open-cell, thermoplastic, absorbent foam formed from a foam polymer formula including a balanced amount of a plasticizing agent and a surfactant in combination with a base resin. Thermoplastic elastomers can be added to the foam polymer formula to improve softness, fl

A soft, flexible, low-density, open-cell, thermoplastic, absorbent foam formed from a foam polymer formula including a balanced amount of a plasticizing agent and a surfactant in combination with a base resin. Thermoplastic elastomers can be added to the foam polymer formula to improve softness, flexibility, elasticity, and resiliency of the resulting foam. The surfactant may be either a single surfactant or a multi-surfactant system. The foam possesses a number of qualities, such as softness and strength, which render the foam particularly suitable for use in a variety of personal care products, medical products, and the like.

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What is claimed is: 1. A low-density, open-cell, thermoplastic, absorbent foam, comprising: a base resin, a surfactant, a plasticizing agent, and about 20% to about 50% by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer; wherein the foam has an open cell content of greater than 55% and a fluid intake flux of a

What is claimed is: 1. A low-density, open-cell, thermoplastic, absorbent foam, comprising: a base resin, a surfactant, a plasticizing agent, and about 20% to about 50% by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer; wherein the foam has an open cell content of greater than 55% and a fluid intake flux of about 1 ml/sec/in2 or greater upon a first insult, about 1 ml/sec/in2 or greater upon a second insult, and about 1 ml/sec/in2 or greater upon a third insult; the foam is soft and flexible, and has a compression resistance of about 20% compression set or less; and the thermoplastic elastomer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene (SIBS), styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene (SEPS), polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomers including ethylene α-olefin copolymers, hydrogenated butadiene-isoprene-butadiene block copolymers, stereoblock polypropylenes, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM), ethylene-propylene random copolymers (EPM), ethylene propylene rubbers (EPR), thermoplastic polyether ester elastomers, ionomeric thermoplastic elastomers, polyamide thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, and combinations thereof. 2. The foam of claim 1, wherein the base resin comprises at least one of the group consisting of polystyrene, styrene copolymers, polyolefins, polyesters, and combinations thereof. 3. The foam of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer has a diblock content between about 50% and about 80% of a total weight of the thermoplastic elastomer. 4. The foam of claim 1, comprising between about 0.05% and about 10% surfactant, by weight, of the foam. 5. The foam of claim 1, wherein the surfactant comprises a nonionic surfactant. 6. The foam of claim 1, wherein the surfactant comprises a multi-component surfactant system. 7. The foam of claim 1, comprising between about 0.5% and about 10% plasticizing agent, by weight, of the foam. 8. The foam of claim 1, wherein the plasticizing agent comprises at least one of the group consisting of polyethylene; ethylene vinyl acetate; mineral oil, palm oil, waxes, naphthalene oil, paraffin oil, acetyl tributyl citrate; acetyl triethyl citrate; p-tert-butylphenyl salicylate; butyl stearate; butylphthalyl butyl glycolate; dibutyl sebacate; di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate; diethyl phthalate; diisobutyl adipate; diisooctyl phthalate; diphenyl-2-ethylhexyl phosphate; epoxidized soybean oil; ethylphthalyl ethyl glycolate; glycerol monooleate; monoisopropyl citrate; mono-, di-, and tristearyl citrate; triacetin (glycerol triacetate); triethyl citrate; 3-(2-xenoyl)-1,2-epoxypropane; and combinations thereof. 9. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam has a density of about 0.1 g/cm3 or less. 10. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam has an open-cell content of about 70% or greater. 11. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam surfactant permanence remains intact in the foam such that a supernatant resulting from soaking the foam in water for 24 hours has a surface tension of about 40 dynes/centimeter or greater. 12. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam has a saturated capacity of about 3 grams/gram or greater, as measured under a 0.5 psi loading. 13. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam has a basis weight of about 400 grams per square meter or less. 14. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam has an overall bulk of about 6 millimeters or less. 15. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam has a cross-direction trap tear strength of about 300 grams or greater. 16. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam has a machine-direction trap tear strength of about 300 grams or greater. 17. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam has a Gurley stiffness of about 600 milligrams or less. 18. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam has an edge compression of about 250 grams or less. 19. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam has a compression resistance of about 20% compression set or less. 20. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam has a vertical wicking height of about 5 cm or greater. 21. The foam of claim 1, wherein the foam has a viscous fluid saturation capacity of about 3 g/g or greater and retention capacity of about 1 g/g or greater. 22. An absorbent article comprising the foam of claim 1. 23. A soft, flexible, resilient, elastic, low-density, open-cell, thermoplastic, absorbent foam, comprising: a base resin, about 20% to about 50% by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer, and a surfactant; wherein the foam has an open cell content of greater than 55% and a fluid intake flux of about 1 ml/sec/in2 or greater upon a first insult, about 1 ml/sec/in2 or greater upon a second insult, and about 1 ml/sec/in2 or greater upon a third insult; the foam is soft and flexible, and has a compression resistance of about 20% compression set or less; and the thermoplastic elastomer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene (SIBS), styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene (SEPS), polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomers including ethylene α-olefin copolymers, hydrogenated butadiene-isoprene-butadiene block copolymers, stereoblock polypropylenes, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM), ethylene-propylene random copolymers (EPM), ethylene propylene rubbers (EPR), thermoplastic polyether ester elastomers, ionomeric thermoplastic elastomers, polyamide thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, and combinations thereof. 24. The foam of claim 23, wherein the base resin comprises at least one of the group consisting of polystyrene, styrene copolymers, polyolefins, polyesters, and combinations thereof. 25. The foam of claim 23, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer comprises a styrenic block copolymer including at least one of the group consisting of styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene (SIBS), styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene (SEPS), and combinations thereof. 26. The foam of claim 23, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer has a diblock content between about 50% and about 80% of a total weight of the thermoplastic elastomer. 27. The foam of claim 23, wherein the surfactant comprises a multi-component surfactant system. 28. The foam of claim 23, comprising between about 50% and about 90% base resin, by weight, of the foam. 29. The foam of claim 23, comprising between about 0.1% and about 5% surfactant, by weight, of the foam. 30. The foam of claim 23, wherein the foam has a density of about 0.1 g/cm3 or less, a Gurley stiffness of about 300 milligrams or less, and an edge compression of about 35 grams or less. 31. An absorbent article comprising the foam of claim 23. 32. A soft, flexible, resilient, elastic, low-density, open-cell, thermoplastic, absorbent foam, comprising: between about 50% and 90% by weight, of a polystyrene base resin and between about 20% and about 50%, by weight, of a thermoplastic elastomer, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer has a styrenic block copolymer thermoplastic elastomer diblock content between about 50% and about 80% of a total weight of the thermoplastic elastomer; wherein the foam has an open cell content of greater than 55% and a fluid intake flux of about 1 ml/sec/in2 or greater upon a first insult, about 1 ml/sec/in2 or greater upon a second insult, and about 1 ml/sec/in2 or greater upon a third insult; the foam is soft and flexible, and has a compression resistance of about 20% compression set or less; and the thermoplastic elastomer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene (SIBS), styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene (SEPS), polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomers including ethylene α-olefin copolymers, hydrogenated butadiene-isoprene-butadiene block copolymers, stereoblock polypropylenes, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM), ethylene-propylene random copolymers (EPM), ethylene propylene rubbers (EPR), thermoplastic polyether ester elastomers, ionomeric thermoplastic elastomers, polyamide thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, and combinations thereof. 33. A method for producing a low-density, open-cell, thermoplastic, flexible, soft, absorbent foam, comprising the steps of: providing a foam polymer formula including a base resin, a plasticizing agent, a surfactant and about 20% to about 50% by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer; heating the foam polymer formula to create a polymer melt utilizing a blowing agent; foaming the polymer melt to a density of about 0.1 g/cm3 or less; and extruding the polymer melt to form an open-cell, soft, flexible, thermoplastic, absorbent foam; wherein the foam has an open cell content of greater than 55% and a fluid intake flux of about 1 ml/sec/in2 or greater upon a first insult, about 1 ml/sec/in2 or greater upon a second insult, and about 1 ml/sec/in2 or greater upon a third insult; the foam is soft and flexible, and has a compression resistance of about 20% compression set or less; and the thermoplastic elastomer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene (SIBS), styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene (SEPS), polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomers including ethylene α-olefin copolymers, hydrogenated butadiene-isoprene-butadiene block copolymers, stereoblock polypropylenes, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM), ethylene-propylene random copolymers (EPM), ethylene propylene rubbers (EPR), thermoplastic polyether ester elastomers, ionomeric thermoplastic elastomers, polyamide thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, and combinations thereof.