Microstructural and Mechanical Characterization of a Baby Diaper

Baby diaper, despite their evolution, still caused serious problems after using on the baby’s skins, as diaper rash or seat dermatitis. To avoid these problems, understanding of the structure of the material in contact with the baby’s skin and its mechanical behavior is necessary. Therefore, the study of the non-wovens fabrics of the top-sheet is compulsory. Our aim is to relate mechanical properties of the tissues to their microstructure. To achieve that goal, the microscopic observation have been performed to study the composition and the structure of the textile, particularly the distribution of the fibers orientation. Also, tensile tests in both longitudinal and transversal directions and compression tests have allowed to mechanically characterize some mechanical properties, as stiffness. Results show that longitudinal directions are favored comparing to the transversal ones and that actual baby diapers are more rigid than others under study.