An absorbent article is disclosed having a topsheet, a backsheet joined with the topsheet, an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, and a synthetic superabsorbent polymer derived from a first renewable resource via at least one intermediate compound, wherein said superabsorbent polymer exhibits a defined Saline Flow Conductivity value and Absorption Against Pressure value. Alternately, an absorbent article is disclosed having a synthetic polyolefin derived from a first renewable resource via at least one intermediate compound. The synthetic polyolefin exhibits defined performance characteristics making the polyolefin particularly useful in certain components of the absorbent article. Methods for making the aforementioned absorbent articles are also disclosed.

An absorbent article is disclosed having a topsheet, a backsheet joined with the topsheet, an absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet, and a synthetic superabsorbent polymer derived from a first renewable resource via at least one intermediate compound, wherein said superabsorbent polymer exhibits a defined Saline Flow Conductivity value and Absorption Against Pressure value. Alternately, an absorbent article is disclosed having a synthetic polyolefin derived from a first renewable resource via at least one intermediate compound. The synthetic polyolefin exhibits defined performance characteristics making the polyolefin particularly useful in certain components of the absorbent article. Methods for making the aforementioned absorbent articles are also disclosed.

An apparatus for forming an absorbent pad for an absorbent sanitary article including a first layer, a second layer and an absorbent material interposed between the first and the second layer, includes: a forming drum; a first feed system for feeding to the forming drum a first web, intended to form the first layer; and a second feed system for feeding to the forming drum a second web, intended to form the second layer; at least one spreader for spreading the absorbent material on the forming drum; the first web, the second web and the absorbent material together form a composite web and the forming apparatus includes a system for joining the first and second webs and a system for calibrating the thickness of the absorbent material in the composite web and being located upstream of the joining system in a feed direction V of the composite web.

An absorbent structure comprising a planar substrate, an auxiliary glue applied on the substrate, an absorbent material comprising from 80% to 100% by weight of superabsorbent particles deposited on the substrate on an absorbent material deposition area comprising a pattern of absorbent material land areas separated by absorbent material-free junction areas, wherein the deposition area can be notionally divided in eight deposition zones of equal length along the longitudinal direction. A fibrous thermoplastic adhesive layer immobilizes at least some of the absorbent material. The absorbent material is profiled along the longitudinal direction so that at least one of the eight deposition zones is a zone of lower absorbent material amount and the auxiliary glue is absent, or present at a level of at least 50% by weight lower than the average amount of auxiliary glue in at least one of these zones of lower absorbent material amount.

A particulate material feeding device has a particulate material storage tank for storing particulate materials, a delivery device for continuously delivering the particulate materials stored in the particulate material storage tank, a chute which drops and transfers the particulate materials delivered from the delivery device to drop and feed the particulate materials to a feeding position, a blocking body which intermittently enters a blocking position for blocking at least a part of the particulate passage in a cross-sectional direction in the chute, from a non-blocking position, and a recovery path branched from the chute so as to discharge the particulate materials blocked by the blocking body to the outside of the chute.

Described herein is an elastic core assembly having a base nonwoven layer, a top nonwoven layer, and a plurality of spaced apart elastics sandwiched therebetween. The elastics are secured to one or both layers and form therewith, a plurality of elongated spaces wherein SAP material is deposited. Also described are s system and method of making the elastic core composite or assembly, and a disposable absorbent article incorporating the elastic core assembly.

A method includes distributing a powder onto a first sheet, periodically closing a distribution port by a first opening-closing portion, and periodically closing the distribution port by a second opening-closing portion in the same cycle period as that of the first opening-closing portion and at a timing later than that of the first opening-closing portion. The method also includes moving the second opening-closing portion such that it extends from an upstream-side edge of the first opening-closing portion toward an upstream side of a movement direction, during a time period during which the upstream-side edge of the first opening-closing portion overlaps the distribution port. Further, the method includes setting a difference between timings at which the first and second opening-closing portion overlap the distribution port, respectively.

Pulpless absorbent cores and methods of manufacture are disclosed. A first exemplary absorbent core may comprise a carrier sheet having a first edge region, a central region, and a second edge region and particulate material disposed on the carrier sheet through the first edge region, the central region, and the second edge region. The absorbent core may additionally have an absorbent core width and the central region may have a central region width, and the central width may comprise between 33% and 75% of the absorbent core width. Further, the central region may comprise an average basis weight of particulate material that is at least 110% of an average basis weight of particulate material within at least one of the left edge region and the right edge region.

Process and apparatus capable to remove particles from a fluid stream (such as air or water) and directly convert the removed particles into a solid compact format commonly known as briquettes in a standalone combined single unit operation. The outlined process and equipment operates without the need for rotary valve technology and uses air versus hydraulics offering a cost competitive equipment solution for the end user. Active processes within the apparatus actively control the dust thereby allowing a variety of particles to be processes irrespective of moisture content and surface adhesive characteristics. Having the low-cost capability to convert explosive air/dust mixtures into briquettes significantly enhances safety and also reduces the associated manhandling effort required with disposing of collected dust with many briquettes typically having 100-500 the density of the incoming particles. In many regions the produced briquettes have a second hand value thereby creating a value stream from a zero value dust stream.

A method for producing an absorbent structure for absorbent sanitary articles, comprising the steps of: advancing a first non-woven layer at a first speed, with a first surface of said first non-woven layer facing a suction chamber, distributing superabsorbent granular material on a second surface of said first non-woven layer opposite to said first surface, volumizing said first non-woven layer by means of a toothed portion that penetrates into said first non-woven layer through said second surface and movable with respect to said first non-woven layer with a speed difference.