Process for manufacturing disposable absorbent articles

Abstract

A production line for manufacturing disposable absorbent articles from bulk starting polymeric materials including virgin and on-line recycled polymeric materials. The production line includes a continuous process that links the steps of forming the webs with the steps of converting the webs into disposable absorbent articles. The production line recycles non-woven materials produced on the production line back into the production process of producing disposable absorbent articles. The recycling operations can also include a spun-bonded recycling and a melt-blown recycling. The production line can be a single-product-lane operation or a multiple-product-lane operation.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for recycling continuous fibers exiting one or more spun-bonded modules, the method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing at least one spun-bonded module;    (b) diverging the continuous fibers exiting the spun-bonded module into a recycling operation by a gust of a compressed fluid;    (c) disintegrating the continuous fibers in the recycling operation;    (d) conveying the disintegrated fibers into a recycling station; and    (e) recycling the disintegrated fibers into a recycled polymeric material.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  used in the manufacture of disposable absorbent articles.  
     
     
         3 . A method for recycling a molten polymeric material exiting a spinneret of a melt-blown module back in the melt-blown module, the method comprising the steps of: 
 i. providing the melt-blown module extruding the molten material;    ii. providing a collecting die for collecting the molten polymeric material from the spinneret;    iii. providing a conduit being in communication with the collecting die for transporting the molten polymeric material;    iv. collecting the molten polymeric material exiting the spinneret by the collecting die; and    v. transporting the molten polymeric material by the conduit from the collecting die to a metering pump of the melt-blown module for re-extruding the molten polymeric material through the spinneret.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  used in the manufacture of disposable absorbent articles.