Measurement of absorbency characteristics of absorbent structures

Abstract

Abstract An apparatus and method is provided for simultaneously measuring the liquid absorbent capacity and the wetting rate of absorbent structures as a function of volume and time. These absorbency characteristics can be measured at a zero or a negative hydrostatic head, where the absorbency characteristics are due only to the liquid drawing power of the absorbent structure, or at a positive hydrostatic head. The device comprises: a liquid reservoir for holding a column of liquid where the reservoir has an opening at its bottom and is closed at the top; an orifice plate having a liquid delivery orifice which is in flow communication with the opening in the reservoir through a flow communication means; an air bleed orifice in the liquid reservoir between the top and bottom thereof and in fluid communication with the atmosphere; and a means for adjusting the relative heights of the air bleed orifice to the orifice plate. When the liquid is introduced into the reservoir and the flow communication means, the relative height of the orifice plate to the air bleed orifice may be adjusted so that there is no fluid driving force acting to cause liquid to flow through the liquid delivery orifice. When an absorbent material is placed over the liquid delivery orifice in contact with the fluid and the fluid is drawn into the absorbent material, the liquid system will be balanced so that in the absence of the absorbent material there will be no flow through the orifice plate. Measurements can be made on multiple plied structures, with the structures held at any angle from 0° to 90° to the horizontal, with the source of the liquid coming from either below or above the structure and with the structure being subjected to no load or to compressive loads. The method and apparatus can be used to determine the absorbency characteristics of absorbent structures with respect to different liquids.

Inventors

• 👤 Bernard M. Lichstein

Bibliographic Details