Development of Our Unique Non-woven Fabric Used in Sanitary Products

Surface sheets for diapers and sanitary products come into direct contact with the skin, so they are very important materials that need to be gentle to the skin and adequately absorbent.
At Kao, we have been devoting energy to R&D on thick and soft breathable non-woven fabric for surface sheets. For example, Super Absorbent F Fiber Non-woven Sheet is non-woven fabric that uses a special heat-shrinkable fiber to form a unique domed 3D structure that has density gradient. The material has a smaller area of contact with the skin and reduces the amount of liquid left in the skin, which makes it possible to keep the skin free from wetting, dampness, and friction.

In pursuing gentleness to the skin, we have recently been studying the relationship between the amount of bacteria or bacterial flora (communities of bacteria) present on the skin on the buttocks and skin problems. We have also been working to develop more highly functional non-woven fabric that has antibacterial properties to keep the environment inside diapers, which is prone to dampness and bacterial growth due to sweat and moisture, clean. We then developed a bumpy 3D non-woven surface sheet that is made of fibers containing an inorganic antibacterial agent. An inorganic antibacterial agent is blended into each fiber using a special method designed not to adversely affect the absorption of excretions or the texture. The new surface sheet can therefore inhibit bacterial growth on it.

Kao will continue to develop unique non-woven materials that can provide added value to diapers and sanitary products, while focusing on the individual fibers that make those materials.