Disclosed is a fibrous absorbent structure that is wet stable and has large void volume with a density below the critical density of the fiber employed. In one embodiment, the fibrous absorbent uses open-celled foam technologies to keep the fibrous structure expanded and bonded. In other embodiments, the resulting fibrous structure resembles an open-celled polymeric foam, with fibers serving as struts stabilized by binder material. In another embodiment, the resulting fibrous structure is filled with hydrophilic open-celled foams with the cell size substantially smaller than the fibrous pores. Such a wet-stable, high void volume fibrous absorbent can be used in a disposable product intended for the absorption of fluid such as body fluid, including extensible absorbent articles.

Fibrous absorbent material and methods of making the same

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.

Low-density, open-cell, soft, flexible, thermoplastic, absorbent foam and method of making foam

The present invention provides a foam cushion, a method of making the foam cushion, and a method of using the foam cushion. The foam cushion is formed from: (a) at least one of rubber and a resin; (b) a blowing agent; (c) a polymeric adhesion modifier; (d) a decomposition accelerating agent, and (e) a cross-linking agent.

Foam cushion and method of making and using the same

Disclosed are foam structures (1) with enhanced physical properties which can be used in the areas of packaging, athletics, water sports, and construction. Generally, the structures are laminated polymer foams that include a core (4) of a low density foam and one or more skins (6, 8) of relatively high density foam covering the core (4). The skins provide improved physical properties to the foam structures (1) by improving the flexural strength, resistance to bending, and resulting damage from bending in the laminated foam structure while modestly increasing the weight of the laminated structure (1).

Laminated foam structures with enhanced properties

An electrically conductive composition comprises a polymeric foam and carbon nanotubes. The composition has a volume resistivity of about 10-3 ohm-cm to about 108 ohm-cm. In another embodiment, an electrically conductive elastomeric composition comprises an elastomer and carbon nanotubes, and has a volume resistivity of about 10-3 ohm-cm to about 103 ohm-cm. The polymeric foams and elastomers retain their desirable physical properties, such as compressibility, flexibility and compression set resistance. They are of particular use as that articles provide electromagnetic shielding and/or electrostatic dissipation, especially for applications involving complicated geometries, such as in computers, personal digital assistants, cell phones, medical diagnostics, and other wireless digital devices, electronic goods such as cassette and digital versatile disk players, as well as in automobiles, ships and aircraft, and the like, where high strength to weight ratios are desirable.

Electrically conductive polymeric foams and elastomers and methods of manufacture thereof

New cross-linked polymeric foam compositions, and methods for making the same, are provided. The new compositions utilize novel cross-linked polyolefin copolymers and show improvements in strength, toughness, flexibility, heat resistance and heat-sealing temperature ranges as compared to conventional low density polyethylene compositions. The new compositions also show processing improvements over linear low density polyethylene. The novel polyolefins, which are essentially linear, comprise ethylene polymerized with at least one alpha-unsaturated C3 to C20 olefinic comonomer, and optionally at least one C3 to C20 polyene, and exhibit, in an uncross-linked sense, a resin density in the range of about 0.86 g/cm3 to about 0.96 g/cm3, a melt index in the range of about 0.5 dg/min to about 100 dg/min, a molecular weight distribution in the range of from about 1.5 to about 3.5, and a composition distribution breadth index greater than about 45 percent. The polyolefins are silane-grafted to enhance the physical properties and processability of the resins. Slow silane-grafted materials exhibit enhanced physical and processing properties.

Silane-grafted materials for solid and foam applications

Polymer structures (1) having a laminated surface and enhanced physical properties that can be used for packaging, athletic gear (e.g. padding, water sport equipment), gaskets, and protective garments are decribed. The structures (1) include a core (4) of relatively high density material and one or more layers (6) laminated to the surfaces of the core material of relatively low density polymer foam. The structures (1) can be stiff or flexible. The foam layers improve the softness of the surfaces of the core material.

Polymer structures with enhanced properties

New cross-linked polymeric foam compositions, and methods for making the same, are provided. The new compositions utilize novel cross-linked polyolefin copolymers and show improvements in strength, toughness, flexibility, heat resistance and heat-sealing temperature ranges as compared to conventional low density polyethylene compositions. The new compositions also show processing improvements over linear low density polyethylene. The novel polyolefins, which are essentially linear, comprise ethylene polymerized with at least one alpha-unsaturated C3 to C20 olefinic comonomer, and optionally at least one C3 to C20 polyene, and exhibit, in an uncross-linked sense, a resin density in the range of about 0.86 g/cm3 to about 0.96 g/cm3, a melt index in the range of about 0.5 dg/min to about 100 dg/min, a molecular weight distribution in the range of from about 1.5 to about 3.5, and a composition distribution breadth index greater than about 45 percent.

Cross-linked foam structures of polyolefins and process for manufacturing

Polymer articles including maleic anhydride are described. The articles have improved characteristics and properties, such as surface bonding properties, even when the article includes a large percentage of ethylene propylene diene monomer terpolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate, ethylene-acrylic elastomers, reclaim, or an oil.

Polymer articles including maleic anhydride

Open cell foamed articles including silane-grafted single-site initiated polyolefin resins are described. The single-site initiated olefin polymer resin can be a polyethylene, a copolymer of ethylene, a C3-C20 alpha-olefin, or a copolymer of ethylene, a C3-C20 alpha-olefin and a C4-C20 diene. The open cell foamed articles have good cushioning properties and can be non-allergenic.

Robert F. Hurley

Papers

Silane-grafted materials for solid and foam applications

Polymer structures with enhanced properties

Cross-linked foam structures of polyolefins and process for manufacturing

Polymer articles including maleic anhydride

Open cell foamed articles including silane-grafted polyolefin resins