Manufacturing of Fluff Pulp Using Different Pulp Sources and Bentonite on an Industrial Scale for Absorbent Hygienic Products.

In this study, for the first time, a composite fluff pulp was produced based on the combination of softwood (i.e., long-length fiber), hardwood (i.e., short-length fiber), non-wooden pulps (i.e., bagasse) and bentonite, with specific amounts to be used in hygienic pads (e.g., baby diapers and sanitary napkins). After the defibration process, the manufactured fluff pulp was placed as an absorbent mass in diapers and sanitary napkins. Therefore, tests related to the fluff pulp, such as grammage, thickness, density, ash content, humidity percentage, pH and brightness, tests related to the manufactured baby diapers, such as absorption capacity, retention rate, retention capacity, absorption time and rewet, and tests related to the sanitary napkin, such as absorption capacity and rewet, were performed according to the related standards. The results demonstrated that increasing the amount of bagasse pulp led to increasing the ash content, pH and density of fluff pulp and decreasing the brightness. The addition of bentonite as a filler also increased ash content and pH of fluff pulp. The results also demonstrated that increasing of bagasse pulp up to 30% in combination with softwood pulp led to increasing absorption capacity, retention rate, retention capacity, absorption time and rewet of baby diapers and of sanitary napkins.

Reinforcement of freeze-dried chitosan scaffolds with multiphasic calcium phosphate short fibers.

The composite scaffolds of the chitosan and multiphasic calcium phosphate (HW) short fibers were prepared by freeze drying and characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM and FE-SEM). The mechanical properties of the scaffolds were assessed by compression test. The incorporation of HW fibers consisting three phases of hydroxyapatite (HA), beta-tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP) and calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) into the chitosan matrices was associated with an increase in pore size, density and compressive strength and modulus, and a decrease in porosity and swelling ratio of the scaffolds. The strongest composite scaffolds in this study with a chitosan: HW fibers weight ratio of 1:1 showed a mean porosity of 69% and a mean strength and modulus of 420kPa and 3.87MPa, respectively. The in vitro bioactivity of the composites was confirmed by the formation of a calcium phosphate rich layer on the surface of soaked scaffolds in simulated body fluid. The findings of this initial work indicate that the chitosan-multiphasic calcium phosphate short fibers may be a suitable material for bone scaffolding.

In vitro dissolution of plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite coatings with different characteristics: experimental study and modeling.

The dissolution of plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite (PHA) coatings with different characteristics, produced by various spraying conditions, in a Tris-buffered solution at pH 7.4 was experimentally studied through the measurement of the release of calcium ions. The phase composition of the coatings at surface and interface, and the porosity were evaluated. The analytical modeling revealed that the calcium dissolution process was composed of two stages. The first stage was found to be both surface and diffusion controlled. The second stage was an exactly diffusion-controlled dissolution. In the first stage, the rate of dissolution and the solubility of the coatings with minimum contents of impurity phases were mainly influenced by the contents of recrystallized HA (RHA) and amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP). It is suggested that the optimized values of the ACP and the RHA at the coating surface can tend to encourage the early fixation properties of the PHA coatings.