High internal phase emulsion foam having cellulose nanoparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12319804-B2
Application number	US-202318482108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2023
Priority date	Mar 21, 2016
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

A High Internal Phase Emulsion (HIPE) foam having cellulose nanoparticles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core, the absorbent core comprising a high internal phase emulsion foam formed by polymerizing a high internal phase emulsion comprising:
a) an oil phase comprising:
i) a monomer comprising a substantially water-insoluble monofunctional alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate, constituting from about 20% to about 97% by weight of the oil phase;
ii) a cross-linking agent;
iii) an emulsifier;
iv) cellulose nanoparticles; and

b) an aqueous phase comprising a water-soluble electrolyte,
wherein the foam is an open-cell foam wherein at least about 80% of cells in the foam that are at least 1 μm in size are in fluid communication with at least one adjoining cell; and
wherein the high internal phase emulsion has a water-to-oil ratio of 13:1 to 65:1.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the high internal phase emulsion foam is a polyHIPE.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the high internal phase emulsion foam has a compression modulus of between about 20 KPa and about 400 KPa.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the cellulose nanoparticles are present in an amount between about 0.001% and about 5% by weight of the oil phase.

5. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the cellulose nanoparticles comprise at least one of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), nanocellulose, nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), a cellulose nanofiber, a cellulose microfibril, a cellulose nanorod, a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), or combinations thereof.

6. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous phase comprises an initiator.

7. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the cellulose nanoparticles are modified by a surface modification prior to insertion into the oil phase to make the cellulose nanoparticles more hydrophobic.

8. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the cellulose nanoparticles have an aspect ratio between about 10 to about 130.

9. The absorbent article of claim 7 , wherein the surface modification is performed with a species selected from the group consisting of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpyperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) (TEMPO/NaClO) oxidized, isopropyldimethylchlorosilane (IPDMSiCl), butyric anhydride (BA), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), Octadecylamine (CONH-C18), (2-dodecen-1-yl)succinic anhydride (DDy SA), Sulfuric acid (SO 3 − ) and then (2-dodecen-1-yl)succinic anhydride (DDy SA), Octadecyl isocyanate (U-C18), Hexyl isocyanate (U-C6), 2-Ethylhexyl Isocyanate, Acetic anhydride (A), and combinations thereof.

10. The absorbent article of claim 6 , wherein the initiator is at least one of ammonium persulfate, sodium persulfate, potassium persulfate, or 2,2′-azobis(N,N′-dimethyleneisobutyramidine)dihydrochloride.

11. An absorbent article comprising an absorbent core, the absorbent core comprising a high internal phase emulsion foam formed by polymerizing a high internal phase emulsion comprising:
a) an oil phase comprising:
i) a monomer comprising a substantially water-insoluble monofunctional alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate, constituting from about 20% to about 97% by weight of the oil phase;
ii) a cross-linking agent;
iii) an emulsifier;
iv) cellulose nanoparticles; and

b) an aqueous phase comprising a water-soluble electrolyte,
wherein the foam is an open-cell foam.

12. The absorbent article of claim 11 , wherein the high internal phase emulsion foam is a polyHIPE.

13. The absorbent article of claim 11 , wherein the high internal phase emulsion foam has a compression modulus of between about 20 KPa and about 400 KPa.

14. The absorbent article of claim 11 , wherein the cellulose nanoparticles are present in an amount between about 0.001% and about 5% by weight of the oil phase.

15. The absorbent article of claim 11 , wherein the cellulose nanoparticles comprise at least one of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), nanocellulose, nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), a cellulose nanofiber, a cellulose microfibril, a cellulose nanorod, a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), or combinations thereof.

16. The absorbent article of claim 11 , wherein the aqueous phase comprises an initiator.

17. The absorbent article of claim 11 , wherein the cellulose nanoparticles are modified by a surface modification prior to insertion into the oil phase to make the cellulose nanoparticles more hydrophobic.

18. The absorbent article of claim 11 , wherein the cellulose nanoparticles have an aspect ratio between about 10 to about 130.

19. The absorbent article of claim 17 , wherein the surface modification is performed with a species selected from the group consisting of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpyperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) (TEMPO/NaClO) oxidized, isopropyldimethylchlorosilane (IPDMSiCl), butyric anhydride (BA), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), Octadecylamine (CONH-C18), (2-dodecen-1-yl)succinic anhydride (DDy SA), Sulfuric acid (SO 3 − ) and then (2-dodecen-1-yl)succinic anhydride (DDy SA), Octadecyl isocyanate (U-C18), Hexyl isocyanate (U-C6), 2-Ethylhexyl Isocyanate, Acetic anhydride (A), and combinations thereof.

20. The absorbent article of claim 16 , wherein the initiator is at least one of ammonium persulfate, sodium persulfate, potassium persulfate, or 2,2′-azobis(N,N′-dimethyleneisobutyramidine)dihydrochloride.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble
• Univ Case Western Reserve

Inventors

• Rowan Stuart J
• Feke Donald L
• Karimkhani Vahid
• Manas-Zloczower Ica
• Zhao Boran
• Hubbard Jr Wade Monroe
• Wingert Maxwell Joseph
• Merrigan Steven Ray

Classifications

• A61F2013/530817

  being open cells · CPC title

• C08J2201/026

  Crosslinking before of after foaming · CPC title

• C08J9/0085

  Use of fibrous compounding ingredients (C08J9/0076 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C08F2/32

  Polymerisation in water-in-oil emulsions · CPC title

• C08J9/009

  Use of pretreated compounding ingredients · CPC title