ABSTRACT
The purpose of the usage of disposable personal hygiene products like sanitary napkins, adult and baby diapers, wipes etc. is to absorb and hold the body fluids for a certain duration of time. In the recent developments in nanotechnology, the nanofibers produced from superabsorbent polymers have shown certain unique properties like fibrous structure, high surface-to-volume ratio, abrasive resistance, acceptable biodegradability and excellent liquid sorption capacity, which make them essential for use in disposable hygiene products. The present chapter is intended to provide a brief overview of the principle of superabsorbency, types of superabsorbent nanofibers, and the technology involved in the synthesis of nanofibers, different production techniques of nanofibers, and factors effecting the electrospinning and other processes. The physico-mechanical properties of superabsorbent polymeric fibers in practical features such as absorption capacity (free and under load), percent residue and tensile stress etc. are concisely discussed. A few insights into directions to modify the nanofibers towards its specific performances a briefly mentioned.
