Adhesives Help Support Core Integrity for Absorbent Hygiene Products
Confidence, Comfort, and Healthy Skin at Any Age
One Vital Component for Protection
When a consumer buys absorbent hygiene products, it is because the articles collect and contain the insults deposited in them. Shoppers may look for additional benefits, but the heart of each product is its absorbent core. And the need is growing. Here’s why:
- Baby care. The market for disposable diapers has been huge across many areas of the world. Now, with growing economies, the rapid expansion of online shopping, and home delivery, they are more available than ever.
- Adult incontinence. As the population in many countries matures (in part due to aging baby boomers), the numbers of those facing incontinence rises. Older adults are also remaining active longer and need products that give them freedom to live life as fully as possible.
From diapers and pull-on pants to pads for urinary incontinence, whatever form these articles take, they rely on the hygiene core to absorb leaks.
Adhesives in the Traditional Core
Manufacturing thinner absorbent hygiene products without sacrificing performance is a long-standing market trend. Other innovations relate to sustainability, new core designs, and enhanced performance. How can these be accomplished? The answer is with adhesives.
In traditional diaper cores used for incontinence and baby care, hot-melt adhesives:
- Help prevent core shifting
- Hold the acquisition distribution layer (ADL) in place
- Stabilize the fluff/SAP (or SAP only) core matrix
- Seal the core wrap
Together, these tasks support core integrity and performance, which helps enable adequate absorption and rewet protection. Regardless of core design, the result is improved comfort, protection, and skin health for the wearer.
Aiding Absorption in Thinner Core Designs
To enhance discretion and comfort for product users, some manufacturers are exploring slimmer configurations. Reduced fluff and no fluff are among the examples we’ve seen. To ensure these cores continue to offer the absorbency consumers expect, adhesives take on additional tasks. A key example is stabilizing the SAP and other absorbent materials to prevent shifting, clumping, and cracking.
Channel Cores: A Different Route to Absorbency
The channel core is an alternate configuration that can provide a thinner profile and comfortable fit. The design takes its name from the channels formed by bonding the top and bottom layers with adhesive to create areas free of absorbent core materials. The SAP/fluff matrix (or SAP alone) is contained in tubular pockets formed between these zones.
Attributes generally associated with the channel core include:
- Improved core integrity
- Better fluid and air circulation, which leads to drier skin
- Less bulking and sagging, for a better fit
In some designs, the channels are intended to hold as the SAP swells; in others, they are intended to release. Specially formulated adhesives may be required to help ensure the preferred outcome.
Core Adhesive Options for Your Line
As you design your absorbent hygiene products, two considerations may be top of mind: Your consumer’s expectations and your own processing needs. That’s why our hygiene adhesives are designed to support both.
With Bostik core adhesives, you can expect:
- Compatibility with a wide range of substrates including thinner materials
- Stabilization of the fluff/SAP matrix to help support softness and flexibility
- Consistent adhesive performance
- Wide windows for processability and application temperature
- Tolerant open time
- Rapid adaptability to a wide range of substrates
- Compatibility across a range of nozzles and application patterns
- Good thermal stability
- Easy clean-up
- Minimal nozzle clogging
- Clean cut-off
Keep consumers choosing your adult and baby diapers, pull-on pants, and pads for light urinary incontinence.
Backing You Up as You Move Forward
When it comes to absorbent hygiene adhesives, Bostik is the partner you need to bring your products to the market successfully and efficiently, with minimal stress. Rely on our proven expertise, coupled with world-class solutions and support. Plus, take advantage of our:
- Dedication to corporate social responsibility, including expertise in regulations, certifications, and other areas pertaining to sustainability and adhesives
- Over 9,000 invention patents plus continuing innovation, put to work for you
- Global perspective coupled with local attention to detail to help you succeed, wherever you do business
- Versatile supply chain and partnership with socially responsible raw materials vendors
Plan for success, with Bostik hygiene adhesives.