Developing Rapid Urine-Penetrating, Self-Drying, and Breathable Materials for Disposal Diapers

Disposable diapers are an essential component of infant and incontinent individual care, providing superior urine absorption. However, achieving a key goal for high-performance diapers is rapid urine penetration concurrent with surface self-drying. This assertion is substantiated by the prevalence of diaper dermatitis, which afflicts 29% of affected individuals. In this study, we designed rapid urine-penetrating, self-drying materials (RIPPING materials) by the synergy between the meshed pore hydrophobic top layer and superabsorbent middle layer. It is noteworthy that the meshed pores of the hydrophobic top layer facilitated expeditious urine absorption by the subjacent superabsorbent middle layer (0 g urine run-off). Furthermore, the urine would be retained on the surface of the diaper by the mesh, due to the material’s inherent hydrophobic properties. Following the systematic optimization of the structure of RIPPING materials, superior self-drying diapers with a wetness of 0.06 ± 0.01 g were achieved after urine absorption by preventing the direct contact between the skin and superabsorbent materials. The breathability of disposable diapers is attributed to the use of breathable materials, while its high-performance back layer exhibits efficacy in resisting hydrostatic pressure. Consequently, the present study proposes a high-performance RIPPING diaper that simultaneously achieves outstanding breathability without compromising leak resistance.