Nonwoven Greige Cotton for Wound Healing and Hygienic Product Applications

The potential to use greige (non-bleached) cotton in nonwoven absorbent products has received increased attention. This is due to innovations in cotton cleaning and nonwoven hydroentanglement processes that open and expose the hydrophilic cellulosic component of greige cotton fiber to water absorption while retaining the cuticle waxes and pectin. The wound healing and hygienic values in greige cotton have been recently demonstrated and will be discussed in this presentation.  Greige cotton demonstrated accelerated clotting over bleached cotton, and generated low-level hydrogen peroxide which is associated with accelerated granulation tissue formation in wound healing.  In addition mechanically cleaned surfactant –treated nonwoven greige cotton functioned similarly or better than commercial diaper coverstock layers.  Tests measuring rewet, strikethrough, and acquisition of synthetic urine, and comparing commercial samples with industry standards for pre-clinical diaper performance, revealed that nonwoven greige cotton can function as a top sheet in diapers and other incontinence products.