Researchers at Waterloo Engineering have created a green alternative to absorbent materials now used in personal hygiene products such as diapers, menstrual pads and tampons.
The new, natural hydrogel breaks down harmlessly in soil within three months, unlike existing synthetic materials that are expected to take centuries to degrade and greatly contribute to the waste in landfill sites.
“Our goal was a scalable, economical process for producing eco-friendly materials to replace the non-degradable components currently used in personal hygiene products,” said Dr. Tizazu Mekonnen, a chemical engineering professor who led the research.
“Our work demonstrates that we can design high-performance alternatives that work extremely well without leaving hundreds of years of waste behind for future generations.”
Instead of petroleum-based materials now used for absorbers in commercial hygiene products, the new hydrogel is made from two kinds of cellulose – an abundant, organic polymer found in plants — bound together and strengthened with citric acid.
In addition to being biodegradable, it delivers equal or better performance in trapping bodily fluids.
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