Extrusion bonded laminates for absorbent articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9895275-B2
Application number	US-201313868163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2013
Priority date	Jan 24, 2008
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

An absorbent article of the present invention may comprise a topsheet, an outer cover, and an absorbent core disposed therebetween. The outer cover may comprise an extrusion bonded laminate. The EBL may comprise a multi-layer coextruded elastomeric film and a nonwoven. The film may comprise a core layer, a first outer layer, and a second outer layer, wherein the core layer is between the first and second outer layers. The nonwoven may comprise fibers and/or filaments. The first outer layer may be non-adhesively joined to the nonwoven via extrusion coating. Further, the outer cover may be elastic to at least about 50% engineering strain. The nonwoven may have high chemical affinity for the first outer layer. The first outer layer may have a low chemical affinity for the core layer. And, the first outer layer may comprise an amount of draw down polymer greater than about 45 wt %.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An absorbent article comprising:
a topsheet;
an outer cover;
an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and outer cover;
wherein the outer cover comprises an extrusion bonded laminate, the extrusion bonded laminate comprising:
a multi-layer coextruded elastomeric film, comprising a core layer, a first outer layer, and a second outer layer, wherein the core layer is between the first and second outer layers;
a nonwoven consisting of fibers and/or filaments;
wherein the first outer layer is joined to the nonwoven via extrusion coating, such that the first outer layer is a tie layer between the core layer and the nonwoven;
wherein the second outer layer is joined to the core layer, such that the second outer layer is a skin layer;

wherein the first and second outer layers comprise polyolefin elastomers (POEs);
wherein the first and second outer layers comprise a blend of two ethylene-rich copolymers, wherein ethylene is between 10% and 97%;
wherein the extrusion bonded laminate is mechanically activated using intermeshing gears;

wherein the nonwoven has a high chemical affinity for the first outer layer;
wherein the first outer layer has a low chemical affinity for the core layer;
wherein the first outer layer comprises an amount of draw down polymer greater than 45wt %; and wherein the activated laminate has a % engineering strain at 1 N/cm force, as measured by the tensile test, of about 50% to about 140%.

2. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the outer cover is substantially free of holes having a diameter of greater in size than about 1 mm.

3. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the first and second outer layers have a fusion index from about 10% to about 40%.

4. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven comprises bicomponent fibers, the fibers comprising a core and a sheath.

5. The absorbent article of claim 4 , wherein the first outer layer comprises at least 45% of a polymer comprising more than 10 w % ethylene.

6. The absorbent article of claim 4 , wherein the sheath comprises polyethylene and the core comprises polypropylene.

7. The absorbent article of claim 6 , wherein the laminate bond strength is from about 1.0 to about 3.5 N/cm, as measured by the Tensile Test (Mode II).

8. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the core layer of the elastomeric film is selected from the group consisting of an ethylene copolymer having a fusion index from about 5% to about 20%, a propylene copolymer having a fusion index from about 5% to about 20%, and combinations thereof.

9. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the multi-layer coextruded elastomeric film has a basis weight from about 10 gsm to about 40 gsm.

10. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the extrusion bonded laminate has a basis weight from about 30 gsm to about 70 gsm.

11. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the outer cover activated laminate has a basis weight from about 20 gsm to about 100 gsm.

12. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the extrusion bonded laminate further comprises an adhesive.

13. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the nonwoven comprises fibers that are not round in cross section.

14. The absorbent article of claim 1 , further comprising a second nonwoven joined to the second outer layer.

15. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein an exterior surface of the second outer layer has a blocking force from 0.07 to 0.4 N/cm.

16. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the extrusion bonded laminate is adhesive free.

17. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric film comprises at least 50%, by weight, of a polyolefinic elastomer.

18. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric film comprises:
at least one olefin-based elastomeric polymer; and
at least one draw down polymer;
wherein the elastomeric film has a permanent set of no more than 15% as measured by the Two-Cycle Hysteresis Test Method using 100% maximum engineering strain.

19. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the first and second outer layers are compositionally identical.

20. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the outer cover has an ultimate tensile strength from 3 N/cm to 5.3 N/cm.

21. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the percent engineering strain at break of the outer cover activated laminate is from 100% to 625%.

22. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the permanent set of the outer cover activated laminate is from 6 to 15% as measured by the Two-Cycle Hysteresis Test Method using 130% maximum engineering strain.

23. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the force relaxation of the outer cover activated laminate is less than 40% as measured by the Two-Cycle Hysteresis Test Method using 130% maximum engineering strain.

24. The absorbent article of claim 1 , wherein the Cycle 1 unload force at 50% engineering strain of the outer cover activated laminate is greater than about 0.10 N/cm as measured by the Two-Cycle Hysteresis Test Method using 130% maximum engineering strain.

25. An absorbent article comprising:
a topsheet;
an outer cover;
an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and outer cover;
wherein the outer cover comprises an extrusion bonded laminate, the extrusion bonded laminate comprising:
a multi-layer coextruded elastomeric film, comprising a core layer, a first outer layer, and a second outer layer, wherein the core layer is between the first and second outer layers;
a nonwoven consisting of fibers and/or filaments;
wherein the first outer layer is joined to the nonwoven via extrusion coating such that the first outer layer is a tie layer between the core layer and the nonwoven;
wherein the second outer layer is joined to the core layer, such that the second outer layer is a skin layer;
wherein the first and second outer layers comprise polyolefin elastomers (POEs);
wherein the first and second outer layers comprise a blend of two ethylene-rich copolymers, wherein ethylene is between 10% and 97%
wherein the extrusion bonded laminate is mechanically activated using intermeshing gears;

wherein the nonwoven has a high chemical affinity for the first outer layer;
wherein the first outer layer has a low chemical affinity for the core layer;
wherein the first outer layer comprises an amount of draw down polymer greater than 75 wt %;
wherein the activated laminate has a % engineering strain at 1 N/cm force, as measured by the tensile test, of about 50% to about 140%; and

wherein the multi-layer coextruded elastomeric film has a basis weight from 10 gsm to 40 gsm.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Autran Jean Philippe Marie
• Muslet Iyad
• Bland David G
• Cancio Leopoldo V
• Neton Janet
• Mansfield Todd Leon

Classifications

• B32B27/32

  comprising polyolefins {(comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30)} · CPC title

• B32B2555/00

  Personal care · CPC title

• B32B2307/51

  Elastic · CPC title

• A61F13/51464 Primary

  being stretchable or elastomeric · CPC title

• B32B7/12

  using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties · CPC title