Patent ID: 8043700

Claim:
A multicomponent superabsorbent fibre, said superabsorbent fibre having a length direction and a cross-direction, said superabsorbent fibre comprising a first superabsorbent material and a second superabsorbent material, wherein, in at least a part of the length direction of the superabsorbent fibre, the first superabsorbent material and the second superabsorbent material are located side-by-side in the cross-direction of the superabsorbent fibre, wherein the first and second superabsorbent materials are selected such that at a given point during their swelling, the swelling capacity of the first superabsorbent material is greater than the swelling capacity of the second superabsorbent material so that the superabsorbent fibre curls upon contact with liquid; provided that the multicomponent superabsorbent fibre does not comprise one or more first fibres comprising an acidic water-absorbent resin and one or more second fibres comprising a basic water-absorbent resin; and wherein the first superabsorbent material and the second superabsorbent material comprise the same superabsorbent polymer, wherein the superabsorbent polymer in the second superabsorbent material has a higher cross-linking density than the superabsorbent polymer in the first superabsorbent material.