Absorbent structure

Abstract

A method for evaluating the bunched compression of an absorbent structure is described. The method includes placing an absorbent structure in a tensile tester comprising a first end and a second end, moving the first end and the second end of the tensile tester toward each other such that they compress the absorbent structure along its width, lowering a loading probe that compresses the absorbent structure perpendicular to the absorbent structure, and raising the loading probe and decompressing the absorbent structure perpendicular to the absorbent structure. The loading probe acquires data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for evaluating the bunched compression of an absorbent structure, said method comprising the steps of: placing an absorbent structure in a tensile tester comprising a first end and a second end, moving the first end and the second end of the tensile tester toward each other such that they compress the absorbent structure along its width, lowering a loading probe that compresses the absorbent structure perpendicular to the absorbent structure, and raising the loading probe and decompressing the absorbent structure perpendicular to the absorbent structure, wherein the loading probe acquires data. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the loading probe compresses the absorbent structure perpendicular to the absorbent structure along a path of about 15 mm. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data acquired by the loading probe is used to calculate at least one of a maximum compression force for each cycle, the recovery of extension between any one cycle and any other cycle, the energy of compression force each cycle, the energy loss for each cycle, and the energy of recovery for each cycle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of placing an absorbent structure in a tensile tester further includes preparing the absorbent structure by die cutting the absorbent structure to a size of 80 mm wide by 100 mm long. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tensile tester first end and the tensile tester second end are separated by a 50 mm spacer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the probe is first lowered until the absorbent structure has 2 grams of preload force. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the probe is automatically zeroed out once it reaches the 2 grams of preload force. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is completed for five or more cycles. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data is acquired at a rate of 100 Hz. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the bunched compression data is reported in the form of Newtons*mm. 
     
     
         11 . A method for evaluating the bunched compression of an absorbent structure, said method comprising the steps of: placing an absorbent structure in a tensile tester comprising a first end and a second end, moving the first end and the second end of the tensile tester toward each other such that they compress the absorbent structure along its width, lowering a loading probe that compresses the absorbent structure perpendicular to the absorbent structure, and raising the loading probe and decompressing the absorbent structure perpendicular to the absorbent structure, wherein the loading probe acquires data, and wherein the data acquired by the loading probe is used to calculate at least one of a maximum compression force for each cycle, the recovery of extension between any one cycle and any other cycle, the energy of compression force each cycle, the energy loss for each cycle, and the energy of recovery for each cycle. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the loading probe compresses the absorbent structure perpendicular to the absorbent structure along a path of about 15 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of placing an absorbent structure in a tensile tester further includes preparing the absorbent structure by die cutting the absorbent structure to a size of 80 mm wide by 100 mm long. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the tensile tester first end and the tensile tester second end are separated by a 50 mm spacer. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the probe is first lowered until the absorbent structure has 2 grams of preload force. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the probe is automatically zeroed out once it reaches the 2 grams of preload force. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method is completed for five or more cycles. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the data is acquired at a rate of 100 Hz. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the bunched compression data is reported in the form of miliJoules.