Inorganic Salt Decolorizing Composition for Absorbent Articles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for removing colored stains, such as blood, from textile materials and disposable absorbent articles are either costly, complex, or interfere with the articles' absorption capacity, making them impractical for one-time use items like feminine care products and wound dressings.
Innovation Solution
A decolorizing composition comprising inorganic salts with a polyvalent anion and a monovalent cation, such as Na2SO4 and KH2PO4, is used to agglomerate red blood cells, allowing for their separation from plasma, thereby reducing the visibility of blood stains in absorbent articles without affecting their absorption properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If Pluronic surfactants are used to agglomerate red blood cells, then the visibility of blood stains is reduced, but the absorption capacity of the article is interfered with and the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters by using inorganic salts (sodium sulfate, potassium phosphate) instead of organic surfactants. These salts alter the ionic strength and charge characteristics of the blood mixture, causing red blood cells to agglomerate through electrostatic interactions while leaving the absorbent material's physical structure and capacity unchanged.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs inexpensive inorganic salts that can be easily incorporated into disposable absorbent articles. These salts are cost-effective, stable, and do not require complex formulation or post-manufacturing treatment, making them ideal for one-time use products where the article is discarded after single use.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If Pluronic surfactants are used to agglomerate red blood cells, then the visibility of blood stains is reduced, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the decolorizing function from complex surfactant systems and isolates it to simple inorganic salt compounds. These salts can be directly mixed into the absorbent core during manufacturing without requiring additional processing steps, coating operations, or special formulation techniques, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If pre-washing agents are used to remove blood stains, then the removal of stains is facilitated, but the washing process becomes overly complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating the decolorizing inorganic salts directly into the absorbent article during manufacturing. This allows the stain removal function to be activated automatically upon contact with blood-containing fluids, eliminating the need for separate pre-washing steps or complex multi-stage processing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The decolorizing composition effectively reduces the visibility of blood stains in absorbent articles by agglomerating red blood cells, preventing hemolysis and maintaining the articles' absorption capacity, thus providing a cost-effective and simple solution for minimizing staining and leakage.
Implementation Method 1
The decolorizing composition comprises one or more inorganic salts, each of which contains a polyvalent anion and a monovalent cation... to agglomerate red blood cells in blood and menses
Data Source
AI summary
The use of a decolorizing composition for removing colored substances from aqueous fluids (e.g., colored pigments, blood-containing fluids, etc.) is provided. The decolorizing composition contains one or more inorganic salts. In one embodiment, for example, the composition contains a mixture of sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) and monopotassium phosphate (KH2PO4). The decolorizing composition may be placed in fluid communication with an absorbent core, a liquid-permeable layer, or combinations thereof, in an absorbent article to help decolorize blood-containing fluids (e.g., menses) exuded from the body.