Patent ID: 6224961
Filing Date: 2001-05-01
Classification: A61F,B32B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A porous, absorbent macrostructure having improved fluid handling capability and comprising an interparticle bonded aggregate comprising a multiplicity of interconnected crosslinked particles comprising substantially water-insoluble, absorbent, hydrogel-forming polymer material; the hydrogel-forming polymer material comprising a mixture selected from the group consisting of:(a) mixtures of from about 50 to about 95% of a first hydrogel-forming polymer having a Saline Flow Conductivity (SFC) value of at least about 5.times.10.sup.-7 cm.sup.3 sec/g and 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 from about 5 to about 50% of a second hydrogel-forming polymer having an Absorptive Capacity value of at least about 25 g/g,(b) mixtures of from about 20 to about 40% of a first hydrogel-forming polymer in the form of spherical shaped particles and from about 60 to about 80% of a second hydrogel-forming polymer in the form of nonspherical shaped particles, and(c) combinations of (a) and (b);the interparticle bonded aggregate having pores between adjacent particles, the pores being interconnected by intercommunicating channels so as to form a liquid permeable macrostructure, the circumscribed dry volume of the macrostructure being greater than about 0.008 mm.sup.3.