Biodegradable Aliphatic Polyester Nonwoven Web Tear Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current nonwoven webs used in disposable absorbent products, such as diapers and feminine care items, face issues with low tear strength and non-biodegradability, leading to disposal challenges and environmental concerns, as they often clog sewage systems and contribute to landfill waste.
Innovation Solution
A biodegradable nonwoven web is developed using a polymer blend comprising 65% to 99% biodegradable aliphatic polyester and 1% to 35% of a second polymer with a lower melting point or molecular weight, enhancing tear strength without compromising tensile strength or biodegradability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If aliphatic polyester polymer is used to make nonwoven web biodegradable, then environmental disposability is improved, but tear strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by blending aliphatic polyester polymer with a second polymer (such as polyolefin or polyamide) to create a nonwoven web that combines the biodegradability of the aliphatic polyester with the strength properties of the second polymer. This composite approach allows the material to achieve both environmental disposability and sufficient mechanical strength for practical applications.
2Volume of moving object
If outer cover material is made thinner to reduce bulk, then disposal ease is improved, but strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The use of composite polymer blends enables the outer cover material to maintain high strength-to-weight ratio, allowing thinner designs that reduce bulk while preventing tearing during normal use. The synergistic combination of polymers provides the necessary mechanical properties even at reduced thickness.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If aliphatic polyester polymer is used alone, then biodegradability is improved, but processability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes composite materials where the second polymer in the blend compensates for the poor processability of pure aliphatic polyester. The combination allows for better melt flow and processing characteristics while maintaining the biodegradability advantage of the aliphatic polyester component.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a nonwoven web prepared from an aliphatic polyester polymer which has sufficient tear strength and is biodegradable. Biodegradable nonwoven webs of the present are prepared from a polymer blend having from about 65% by weight to about 99% by weight of a biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer and from about 1% by weight to about 35% by weight of a second polymer selected from the group consisting of a polymer having a lower melting point than the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer, a polymer having a lower molecular weight than the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer and mixtures thereof. Surprisingly, the nonwoven webs of the present invention have a tear strength greater than the tear strength of a nonwoven web prepared from the biodegradable aliphatic polyester polymer alone. In addition, other properties of the resulting nonwoven web, such as the tensile strength and energy to break, are not adversely affected, by the addition of the second polymer, in ways that make the resulting nonwoven web unusable for its intended purpose.