Science Project: Diaper's

The History of the diapers!

Diaper timeline click below

Diaper Timeline

Do you know what is in a disposable diaper that absorbs?

If you cut open a diaper, you will notice a crystal like substance called sodium polyacrylate and usually called super absorbent polymer or SAP. These crystals have a similar feel as fine sand. This polymer was created by the scientists from the Dow Chemical Company.

When these crystals are exposed to water, the water drawn inside the sodium polyacrylate molecule through osmosis. The polymer will continue to absorb water until the water inside the molecule is equivalent to the water outside the molecule. This mixture of water and crystals turns into a gel like substance. In fact, a pound of crystals can absorb about 50 gallons of water.

Since urine contains water and salts, and these salts impede the performance of the original sodium polyacrylate. Scientists have modified the polymer to counteract the affects of the salts in urine.

The chaise of a diaper is usually made of plastic or a special designed cloth like paper that gives a diaper its shape and contains the wetness. The next layer wicks the wetness away from the skin. Some of these layers have special one way funnels that the wetness moves in one direction and not resurface back to the skin. Finally the wetness drawn into the absorbent inner core and locked in. This inner core is a combination of paper cellulose fluff and the sodium polyacrylate crystals.

So what brand of diaper absorbs the best? My question do huggies absorb the best and does the price of the diaper effect the quality or absorbency?

Well lets see! To do this experiment I went to Walmart and bought four different brands of diapers in a size five.

Luvs
Pampers
Huggies
Parents choice(Walmart brand)

Then I completed the experiment check out the next post to see the steps and results!