Development of Unique Air-through Non-woven Sheet for Sanitary Products

The surface sheet of sanitary products is one of the most important component that must show both “gentleness to skin” and “absorptive function”, as it directly contacts the skin.
Kao has been striving to perform R&D of a fluffy and bulky “air-through non-woven sheet” as a top sheet material. Our Super Absorbent F Fiber non-woven sheet has been shown to be gentle to skin along with merits of wetness, stuffiness and friction. These desired effects are achieved by its uniquely designed 3D structure which reduces the surface area in direct contact with skin. More recently, Kao has developed a “Dry Suction Sheet”, which has shown the fastest-ever absorption, by use of a newly discovered special fiber that expands the inter-fiber spaces as part of the texture. This new material improves the absorbency of sanitary products.
Furthermore, for non-woven sheets used in the outer layer of diapers, Kao has been involved in development of new materials in search of those with “gentleness to skin”. The greatest advantage of the newest Cashmere-touch Non-woven Sheet is that fibers thinner than silk are used. It is known that fine fibers are easily damaged and lose softness during the manufacturing process because of thinness, making them difficult to use for producing a useable product. We have successfully overcome those disadvantages, and a non-woven sheet with full potential has been introduced through our own manufacturing process and management. This helps to accomplish our goal of wrapping babies gently with our products.