Absorbent Materials

These simple plant-based fibers demonstrated molecular properties such as surface tension and colloid attraction, but it wasn’t until the development of the ultramicroscope in 1903 that the size and structure of molecules was better understood and the actual chemical process of absorption grasped. The late nineteenth century inspired a new wave of design for the specialized applications of absorbent material-as sanitary napkins and diapers-and eventually helped drive innovative applications for the burgeoning fields of organic and polymer science in the twentieth century.

The need for sterile bandages in medicine precipitated the design of mass-producible, absorbent materials. In 1886, the medical supply company Johnson & Johnson developed surgical wound dressings made of heated, sterilized absorbent cotton with a gauze overlay to prevent fibers sticking to wounds. This design for sterile wound dressing became a fixed part of medical treatment, although it was still unavailable to the general public. However, as women changed their clothing styles and became more independent, demand increased for transportable absorbent menstrual napkins, as well as disposable diapers. In 1887 an American, Maria Allen, created a cotton textile diaper covered with a perforated layer of paper, to draw blood away from the skin, with a gauze layer stitched around it. It was an improvement over the usual washable cotton ”rag” that was extremely leaky (as both a sanitary napkin and a diaper). However, it was too expensive for mass production. Johnson & Johnson continued to improve on the absorption capacity of their original bandage. They discovered that heating and compressing several layers of cotton together provided higher absorption, less leakage, and less bulk in their dressings. When the Lister Towel, as it was named, became widespread in 1896, menstrual products such as the German-manufactured Hartman’s Pads and bolts of ‘’sanitary” cotton cloth appeared in catalogs for women. However, the Johnson & Johnson product was expensive. Cotton, while readily available, still had to be hand picked, processed and sterilized. So, in 1915, an American paper supply company called Kimberly-Clark developed Cellucotton, a bandage material that combined sterile cotton with wood pulp-derived cellulose. During World War I, nurses working in Europe began to use both the Lister Towel and Cellucotton as menstrual pads. By 1921, propelled by this innovative application, Kimberly-Clark manufactured Cellucotton-based disposable pads called Kotex. Thick, with a gauze overlay, they employed several different securing devices. Used in diapers, Cellucotton was sometimes covered by a thick rubber pant, which inhibited evaporation and could exacerbate diaper rash and urinary tract infections in babies. ”Breathability” would become one of the challenges in the decades to come.