Evaluating effect of hydraulic characteristics of various top sheets on performance of sanitary napkins

Abstract

Textiles have a significant role in helping women to overcome a various challenges pertaining to their health and hygiene. Various hygiene textiles including sanitary napkins help to preserve women’s health and cleanliness during their menstrual period against the blood and fluid discharge which occurs monthly from puberty to menopause phase. For comfort and to maintain routine day to day activities, the discharged fluid needs to be absorbed by various absorbent materials used in the sanitary towels, tampons etc. The sanitary napkin attends to the drive of engrossing and retaining the period blood while also keeping it away from the body surface. The hydraulic characteristic viz. absorption and rewetting are very important for the proper performance of the sanitary napkins. A sanitary napkin consists of multiple layers, mainly a top sheet, absorbent core, and back sheet. The upper layer of a sanitary napkin significantly influences user’s comfort, fluid absorption capacity, and the product's rewet properties. In light of escalating environmental concerns, the sanitary product sector is progressively exploring sustainable substitutes for the traditional synthetic top sheets currently employed. This research aims to assess and contrast the efficacy of biodegradable top sheet materials in sanitary napkins against conventional top sheet materials, emphasizing essential functional parameters such as absorption rate, overall absorbency, and rewet. Total of eight top sheet samples: five made of using synthetic polymer and three made from natural polymers have been used for the study. Both these types of material underwent uniform test procedure for comparison of hydraulic characteristics and their effect on performance of the final products. The biodegradable top sheet shows a better absorbency, it may often feel wet again after use due to their high rewet values. Overall performance of cotton, silk, and corn top sheets found better or at par with the synthetic top sheet products. The sanitary napkins made from the natural fiber top sheet also showed much better absorbency properties and liquid holding capacity. This study is helpful in designing the new sanitary products with wider choice of natural fibrous materials. The results show that one can make use of biodegradable materials for comforts, performance and eco-friendly sanitary napkins. This points toward a better future where feminine hygiene aspect is much safer for the people and planet.