Super Absorbent Materials

Introduction of Super Absorbent Polymer Superabsorbent polymers, generally referred to as SAPs, have the ability to absorb and store many times their own weight of aqueous liquids. For this reason, they have been widely employed in the disposable hygiene sector—in diapers, feminine care items and adult incontinence products. SAPs are barely 25 years old. They were first introduced commercially into the hygiene market by Japan’s Unicharm in 1982 and were adopted in the mid-1980s by the brands of major Western consumer product companies such as Procter & Gamble and Kimberly Clark. Today, the bulk of global SAP production, by far, is being swallowed up by the nonwoven disposable hygiene products industry. But small quantities of SAPs are also being used in other fields—especially in advancing the growth of crops, where there is vast potential for future growth. SAPs are also being employed in other applications—including food packaging, the protection of cables from water damage, and firefighting aids. Besides granular super absorbent polymers, super absorbent fiber (SAFs) technology was developed in early 1990s. While significantly more expensive than the granular polymers, the super absorbent fibers offer technical advantages in certain niche markets including cable wrap, medical devices and food packaging. Super Absorbent Fibres Super-absorbent fiber has the property of absorbing moisture up to several thousand times its original weight, undergoing significant expansion, and eventually becoming a gel. It is white, odourless and has the appearance and handling characteristics of a textile fiber. As such, it can be used to produce a wide range of nonwoven, woven fabrics, yarns and tapes for a wide range of applications. As a fibrous super absorbent, SAF allows for ease of handling and gives rise to exceptionally substantive and even distribution profiles within final fabric construction, excellent retention and low shedding. It can be produced in a range of...