| abstract |
Disclosed are absorbent articles, such as diapers, for the management of incontinence. Such articles utilize in their absorbent cores (50) a fluid acquisition/distribution component (51) and a fluid storage/redistribution component (52) maintained in fluid communication with the acquisition/distribution component. The fluid acquisition/distribution component (51) can be any porous hydrophilic, e.g., fibrous or foam-based material which will provide an initial Fluid Acquisition Rate of at least 2 ml of synthetic urine per second and will also preferably provide a 30-minute Vertical Wicking Height of at least 2 cm. The fluid storage/redistribution component (52) comprises a hydrophilic, flexible, open-celled polymeric foam having a free absorbent capacity of at least about 12 ml of synthetic urine per gram of dry foam and an absorbent capacity under a 5.1 kPa confining pressure which is at least 5 % of this free capacity. Preferred fluid acquisition/distribution component materials comprise chemically stiffened, twisted, curled cellulosic fibers. Preferred fluid storage/redistribution component materials comprise absorbent foams prepared by polymerizing a high internal phase emulsion (HIPE). |