A new material made of tiny nanofibers could replace potentially harmful materials found in diapers and sanitary products, according to a paper published in Applied Materials Today by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology. According to the researchers, their new material would have less of an environmental impact and be safer for humans than existing materials.
For the past few decades, disposable diapers, sanitary napkins and other sanitary products have utilized superabsorbent polymers (SAPs). These materials are capable of absorbing many times their own weight in liquid; the average diaper can absorb 30 times its own weight in bodily fluids. But SAPs are not biodegradable: even under ideal conditions, it can take as long as 500 years for a diaper to degrade. In addition, SAPs have been linked to health problems such as toxic shock syndrome, leading to their use in tampons being banned in the 1980s.
According to researchers, a new absorbent material – made of electrospun cellulose acetate nanofibers – does not suffer from these drawbacks. In their study, the team analyzed the material, and their findings suggest it could replace the use of SAPs in female hygiene products.
“Prolonged use of commercially-available products could lead to toxic shock syndrome and other conditions, so it’s vital to develop a safe alternative to SAPs,” explained Chandra Sharma, corresponding author of the study. “We propose to eliminate the use of harmful, non-biodegradable superabsorbent polymers from commercially-available sanitary napkins without compromising the performance, and even enhancing absorbency and comfort.”
“Our results show that electrospun nanofibers outperform commercially-available sanitary products in terms of absorbency and comfort, and we think this makes it a good candidate to replace the potentially harmful materials currently used.”Chandra Sharma, Indian Institute of Technology
The cellulose acetate nanofibers are long and very thin, made using a technique called electrospinning. Because of the large surface area of these nanofibers compared to their volume, the researchers suspected they would be more absorbent than existing materials. On comparing the performance of the nanofibers with commercially-available sanitary napkins, they found the nanofibers were indeed even more absorbent.
SAPs consist of flat, ribbon-like fibers that are about 30µm thick. In contrast, the nanofibers are about 150nm thick – around 200 times thinner. The material is more comfortable than those used in existing products and leaves behind less residue after use, say the researchers.
The nanofiber material is also more porous (over 90% porous) than the traditional material used (80%), making it more absorbent. In tests using saline and synthetic urine, the electrospun fiber material was much more absorbent than commercially-available products. The researchers also tested two alternative versions of the nanofiber material with added SAPs, and found they were not as absorbent as the nanofibers on their own.
“Our results show that electrospun nanofibers outperform commercially-available sanitary products in terms of absorbency and comfort, and we think this makes it a good candidate to replace the potentially harmful materials currently used,” said Sharma. “By making sanitary products safer to use and dispose, we hope to have a global impact on health and the environment.”
This story is adapted from material from Elsevier, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier. Link to original source.