1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for reducing the malodor associated with disposable absorbent products intended for the absorption of body fluids and a product formed by the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Absorbent products intended to absorb discharged body fluids are well known in the art. Such absorbent products generally comprise a fibrous mass capable of absorbing and holding such body fluids. Similarly, it is well known that, after use, absorbent products intended to absorb urine, for example, may have an unpleasant odor. In order to render the use and changing of absorbent products less objectionable, a variety of solutions have been proposed to deal with reducing or masking malodors associated with used absorbent products.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,259 issued Sep. 2, 1975, to Hart describes a method of deodorizing diapers and human excreta. The method comprises applying to the used diapers a chemical composition which, in its simplest form, consists of an acidic material, an antibacterial material and a solvent.
Alternatively, many disposable absorbent products contain perfuming agents which are intended to mask malodors associated with the used product. The use of masking agents, such as perfumes,,is not entirely successful, as some individuals exhibit skin or respiratory sensitivities to such perfuming agents. Further, as the perfuming agent does not eliminate the malodors associated with the used absorbent products, the odor which results from the combination of the used absorbent product and perfuming agent is not always pleasant.
Absorbent products such as disposable diapers, adult incontinence products, training pants, and feminine care products often employ water-swellable, generally water-insoluble absorbent materials known in the art as superabsorbents. Such superabsorbents are generally capable of absorbing at least about 10, and up to 100 times their weight in water. The use of such superabsorbent materials in absorbent products greatly increases the absorbent capacity of the absorbent products while allowing for a reduction in their bulk. In recent years, the concentration of superabsorbent materials used in absorbent products has been increasing. Specifically, when superabsorbents were first introduced into absorbent products, the superabsorbents generally comprised only a small portion of the absorbent structure present in the absorbent products. Currently, it is not unusual for the superabsorbents to comprise 30 weight percent, 50 weight percent, or even more of the absorbent structure in the absorbent products. As the concentration of superabsorbents increases, the overall bulk of the absorbent product decreases. This is desirable in that it allows for smaller, less bulky absorbent products.
Unfortunately, as the concentration of superabsorbent materials used in disposable products increases, so do the malodors associated with such products. Specifically, Applicant believes that the superabsorbent materials have a greater affinity for the water present in the body fluid than for the dissolved odiferous compounds. Thus, the presence of the superabsorbent materials is believed to concentrate the odor causing compounds resulting in an intensification of the natural odors. In some instances, desolvation of the odiferous compounds may occur.
It is desirable to find an efficient and effective manner to reduce the malodors associated with absorbent products containing relatively high concentrations of superabsorbent material without relying completely on masking agents such as perfumes.