Layered Absorber Structure for Recycled Material Appearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Recycled pulp and polymers from rejected absorptive products often contain foreign materials like rubber threads and nonwoven cloth, leading to unsatisfactory appearance due to commingling, which affects the quality and aesthetics of recycled products.
Innovation Solution
An absorptive article design featuring a layered absorber structure with a virgin pulp and polymer upper layer and a recycled pulp and polymer lower layer, where the recycled materials are confined to the lower layer, and the use of crepe paper or activated carbon to conceal foreign materials, ensuring a satisfactory appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If recycled pulp and polymers are used in the absorber, then environmental sustainability is improved, but appearance quality deteriorates due to commingled foreign materials
Solution Approach 1:
The absorber is divided into multiple layers, with the first layer containing recycled pulp and polymers and the second layer containing virgin pulp and polymer. This segmentation allows recycled materials to be utilized while preventing foreign materials from reaching the surface, thus resolving the contradiction between environmental sustainability and appearance quality
Solution Approach 2:
Different layers of the absorber are assigned different material compositions based on their functional requirements. The first layer uses recycled materials for sustainability, while the second layer uses virgin materials to ensure surface quality and prevent foreign material visibility, implementing local quality differentiation
2Manufacturing precision
If foreign materials are removed from recycled pulp, then appearance quality is improved, but production cost increases due to additional separation processes
Solution Approach 1:
Foreign materials are extracted from the recycled pulp by confining them to the first layer of the absorber, which is then separated from the second layer. This approach removes the visual impact of foreign materials without requiring complete purification of the recycled pulp, thus improving appearance quality while avoiding complex separation processes
Solution Approach 2:
The first layer containing recycled pulp with foreign materials is designed to be discarded or processed separately from the second layer. This allows the foreign materials to be isolated and removed only where necessary, rather than requiring complete separation from all recycled materials, reducing production complexity
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 solution effectively conceals foreign materials, maintaining a satisfactory appearance and absorption performance while promoting the ecological reuse of recycled materials, reducing the impact of foreign materials on the product's quality and appearance.
Implementation Method 1
an upper absorbent layer which comprises virgin pulp and virgin polymer, and a lower absorbent layer which contains recycled pulp and recycled polymer
Data Source
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AI summary
An absorptive article 1 includes a liquid-permeable top sheet 20, a liquid impermeable back sheet 30, and an absorber 50 disposed between the top sheet 20 and the back sheet 30. The absorber 50 has a layered structure including an upper absorbent layer 511 disposed on the side of the top sheet 20 and a lower absorbent layer 512 disposed on the side of the back sheet 30. The upper absorbent layer 511 is composed of virgin pulp and virgin polymer, and the lower absorbent layer 512 contains recycled pulp and recycled polymers. As a result, even in the case of using the recycled pulp and polymers, commingled foreign materials would not disfigure the absorptive article 1.