Antimicrobial superabsorbent compositions and methods

Claim 1

A catamenial tampon comprising an outer layer of an organosilane treated polymer gel, and an inner layer of the polymer gel which is free of the organosilane, the rate at which the outer layer of the organosilane treated polymer gel absorbs a fluid with respect to time being slower than the rate at which the inner layer of the polymer gel which is free of the organosilane absorbs a fluid with respect to time, whereby there is established a differential rate of absorption between the inner layer and the outer layer as a function of time causing initial fluid migration to the inner layer, the polymer gel being a water absorbing crosslinked hydrophilic sodium salt form of a partially neutralized acrylic acid-based polymer gel, and the organosilane having an formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR4## wherein in each formula R is an alkyl radical of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or hydrogen; a has a value of 0, 1 or 2; R' is a methyl or ethyl radical; R" is an alkylene group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R'", R"" and R v are each independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, --CH 2 C 6 H 5 , --CH 2 CH 2 OH, --CH 2 OH, and --(CH 2 ) x NHC(O)R vi , wherein x has a value of from 2 to 10 and R vi is a perfluoroalkyl radical having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms; and X is chloride, bromide, fluoride, iodide, acetate, or tosylate.