A water absorbent latex polymer foam produced by the process of combining a foamed latex polymer product with both a water absorbent polymer and chitin and drying that blend to form a foamable latex polymer containing both water absorbent polymer and chitin. The latex foams produced by this process are of great use, for example, with wound or surgical dressings.
A breast-milk absorbent pad includes an absorbent layer especially made of a fiber material and, optionally, with super-absorbent hydrogel materials, that absorbs liquids. The absorbent pad additionally includes chitosan to better use the absorbing capacity of the absorbent layer.
A process is described for recycling dry aqueous fluid absorbent polymer fines into a process that includes a polymerization step for making the aqueous fluid absorbent polymer. The process requires recovering the dry polymer fines, mixing the fines with a polymerizable monomer solution for making the aqueous fluid absorbent polymer and polymerizing the mixture of fines and monomer to form the aqueous fluid absorbent polymer. In the process the fines are incorporated into the new polymer gel and becomes indistinguishable therefrom. The gel may then comminuted into a particulate dried and then separated into a portion having a desired minimum particle size in a fines portion having less than the desired size. The fines portion is then recycled up to about 30 percent by weight based on gel solids may be recycled for the preferred polyacrylate based aqueous fluid absorbent polymer.
Disclosed is an absorbent composition comprising each of an acidic and a basic material, wherein the absorbent composition exhibits desirable absorbent properties. Specifically, the present invention relates to an absorbent composition comprising either an acidic water-swellable, water-insoluble polymer having a pK.sub.a between about 2 to about 12 or a basic water-swellable, water-insoluble polymer having a pK.sub.b between about 2 to about 12 and either a basic or an acidic second material. The absorbent composition has the ability to slowly absorb a large quantity of liquid, particularly while under an external pressure. The absorbent composition is useful in disposable absorbent products, such as those disposable absorbent products that are used to absorb bodily liquids.
A durable, conformable, absorbent, hydrophilic, polymeric latex foam composition having a free absorbent capacity of at least 5 grams of a 0.9 weight percent aqueous saline solution per gram of foam and capable of vertically wicking said aqueous saline solution to a height of greater than about 5 cm. In a preferred embodiment, after compression, the latex foam composition remains thin until wet, whereupon it expands and exhibits a high free absorbent capacity and high vertical wicking height.
The invention provides a wound dressing comprising a body and a polymeric film adhered to at least a portion of the body. The body comprises a flexible, porous polyurethane-based foam and a liquid absorbing component. The invention further provides a wound dressing comprising a first body, a second body, and at least one polymeric film disposed between the first and second bodies. The invention additionally provides methods for treating an injury to a patient's nasal passages utilizing a wound dressing according to the invention.
