초록 ▼

This invention relates to an absorbent structure that comprises water-swellable material, which comprises water-swellable polymers that are coated with a coating agent said coating agent comprising a phase-separating elastomeric material, which allows swelling of the water-swellable polymers, withou

This invention relates to an absorbent structure that comprises water-swellable material, which comprises water-swellable polymers that are coated with a coating agent said coating agent comprising a phase-separating elastomeric material, which allows swelling of the water-swellable polymers, without breakage of the coating.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An absorbent structure comprising water-swellable material that comprises a plurality of water-swellable polymer particles coated with a coating agent, wherein said coating agent comprises an elastomeric material that is phase-separating and has at least a first phase with a

What is claimed is: 1. An absorbent structure comprising water-swellable material that comprises a plurality of water-swellable polymer particles coated with a coating agent, wherein said coating agent comprises an elastomeric material that is phase-separating and has at least a first phase with a first glass transition temperature Tg1 and a second phase with a second glass transition temperature Tg2 wherein said absorbent structure is a part of a disposable absorbent article selected from the group consisting of infant diapers, training pants, adult incontinent articles, sanitary napkins, panty-liners, interlabial articles, and bandages, wherein said coating agent comprises at least one block copolymer selected from the group consisting of polyurethane-co-polyethers, polyurethane-co-polyesters, polyurethane/urea-co-polyethers, polyurethane/urea-co-polyesters, polystyrene block copolymers and blends thereof and is present in the form of a continuous shell around at least a portion of one or more of said water-swellable polymer particles, said shell having an average caliper of 1 μm to 50 μm. 2. An absorbent structure according to claim 1 wherein the difference between Tg1 and Tg2 is at least 30° C. 3. An absorbent structure according to claim 1, wherein said elastomeric phase-separating material has a Tg1 of less than 20° C. and a Tg2 of more than 50° C. 4. An absorbent structure according to claim 1, wherein the elastomeric phase separating material has a molecular weight of at least 50 kDa. 5. An absorbent structure according to claim 1 wherein said shell has a ratio of smallest to largest caliper of from 1:1 to 1:3. 6. An absorbent structure according to claim 1, wherein said coating agent is wet-extensible and has a wet-elongation at break of at least 400% and a tensile stress at break in the wet state of at least 1 MPa. 7. An absorbent structure according to claim 6 wherein the coating agent has, in the wet state, a wet secant elastic modulus at 400% elongation (SMwet400%) of at least 0.5 MPa. 8. An absorbent article according to claim 6, wherein the coating agent has, in the dry state, a dry secant modulus at 400% elongation (SMdry400%) such that the ratio of SMwet400% to SMdry400% is between 1.4 to 1.0 to 0.6 to 1.0. 9. A disposable absorbent article comprising a topsheet and a backsheet and having disposed therebetween an absorbent structure comprising water-swellable material that comprises a plurality of water-swellable polymer particles, coated with a coating agent, wherein said coating agent comprises an elastomeric material that is phase-separating and has at least a first phase with a first glass transition temperature Tg1 and a second phase with a second glass transition temperature Tg2, and wherein said coating agent comprises at least one block copolymer selected from the group consisting of polyurethane-co-polyethers, polyurethane-co-polyesters, polyurethane/urea-co-polyethers, polyurethane/urea-co-polyesters, polystyrene block copolymers and blends thereof and is present in the form of a continuous shell around at least a portion of one or more of said water-swellable polymer particles, said shell having an average caliper of 1 μm to 50 μm.