2023 Conference Speakers

INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award Recipient

The INDA Lifetime Technical Achievement Award will recognize an individual whose technical achievements, over a career of 20 years or more, have meaningfully contributed to the growth of the nonwovens industry. This technical professional will have a long history of innovation, INDA involvement, and/or commercial success.

The recipient of the 2023 Lifetime Technical Achievement Award is James Robinson.

From Nature/To Nature, Bio-based and Biodegradable Superabsorbents for Hygiene Products

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) have garnered significant attention for their exceptional water-absorbing capacities, enabling their deployment across diverse industries. However, conventional SAPs are predominantly derived from petrochemical sources and are not biodegradable. As a consequence, the exploration of sustainable alternatives has focused on biological polymers like starch, cellulose, chitosan, and poly(amino acids). Among these alternatives, polyaspartic acid, based on a naturally occurring amino acid, has emerged as a promising disruptive technology for generating bio-based and biodegradable superabsorbent polymers.

Aspartic acid is a non-toxic, naturally occurring amino acid that can be polymerized to create a very diverse set of high performance chemicals including superabsorbent polymers. The process to produce an effective SAP polymer is similar to traditional polyacrylate SAP manufacturing and more scalable than other bio-based options. Building on the diverse application of naturally occuring aspartic acid chemistry, we are developing novel superabsorbent materials and testing their performance in a wide range of superabsorbent applications.

In this talk, we will explore the incorporation of aspartic acid-based SAPs in hygiene products and their contribution in fostering sustainability and mitigating environmental impact.

Absorption Systems for Absorbent Hygiene Products Workshop

This unique workshop will provide attendees an overview of the basic concepts of absorption systems used in disposable hygiene products, focusing on the components and interaction of the absorption system: Superabsorbent Polymers (SAP), Fluff, Adhesives, and Acquisition Layers.

Attendees will have the hands-on opportunity to evaluate SAP absorption for different SAP’s, identify the presence of adhesives, and deconstruct and examine several hygiene products including infant, adult, and menstrual care to increase their understanding of these systems. Through deconstruction of state-of-the-art products, currently available in the market, attendees will:

•     Learn the functions of fluff pulp, super absorbent polymer (SAP), acquisition and distribution layer (ADL) and adhesives from a material systems approach.

•     Understand how hygiene cores interact to provide efficient fluid management

•     Review new testing concepts that provide insight into the fluid management of cores along with concepts from traditional fluff and SAP cores to fluffless concepts.

•     Take away knowledge of the key raw materials used in absorbent hygiene cores for baby, adult and menstrual care products.

•     Consider product concepts to develop new hygiene solutions

Designed for AHP professionals involved with:

•     Product and process development

•     Research and development

•     Technical sales and marketing

•     Manufacturing and Quality Control