“We have a patent on ‘banana fiber, bagasse, water hyacinth, jute based pulp’ for hygiene use (pulp, paper & possible extension to airlaid and SAP paper) and filing another one on the efficient process of commercial production of these materials. As per our info, there is no other company in our sector to work on so many materials in depth till date.”
More than 15 different materials are used to manufacture one baby diaper：A polypropylene top sheet that is in direct contact with the baby’s skin and is responsible for receiving fluids, an acquisition distribution layer (ADL), which is mostly colored and its responsibility is to distribute fluids into the diaper, the absorption mass, which is a mixture of fluff pulp and super absorbent polymer (SAP), a back-sheet layer, which is mostly a breathable type and made of polyethylene and its responsibility is to prevent leakage of fluids and, finally, a fastening system, such as tape, frontal tape, glue and others.
Fluff pulp, which forms approximately 40% of the total weight of classic diapers, leads to increased absorption speed in diapers and also contributes to the absorption process. In sanitary napkins, fluff pulp forms more than 70% of the total weight of a pad and its responsibility is to distribute the liquids along the length of the pad. Therefore, fluff pulp is one of the most important and strategic materials in the above-mentioned productions. On the other hand, fluff pulp is important in terms of some aspects, such as supplying, transportation, warehousing and logistics. A desirable fluff pulp should provide some specific properties, including appropriate bulk properties, high absorption capacity, low absorption time, high tensile strength and high brightness. The fiber length is another important property in the fluff pulp. The higher the fiber length, the higher SAP attraction, and, consequently, the higher the water absorption.
In general, each country produces fluff pulp according to its resources. The United States, for example, uses southern pines to produce fluff pulp. In other countries, such as Iran, among the poorest countries in terms of wood and forest resources, the production of fluff pulp is inevitably limited to the use of imported pulps and non-wood sources, such as bagasse pulp, which is produced in southwestern Iran due to the abundance of sugarcane pulp.
Therefore, the combination of softwood pulp with long-length fibers with pulps made of non-wood fibers, such as bagasse, could be a promising strategy for manufacturing fluff pulp in countries that have limited wood and forest resources.
The production of a fluff pulp with specific properties using a combination of different amounts of bagasse pulp, softwood and hardwood pulps for cellulose hygienic (i.e., baby diaper and sanitary napkin) applications.
At the 5th IDHPF 2023, Jaydeep will share patents for “banana fibre, bagasse, water hyacinth, jute-based pulp”, An alternative fluff pulp for hygiene products.