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Best Natural Fabric for a Reusable Menstrual Pad

CSEF · 2023 Materials Science First Award

Olvera Elizabeth · 7

Overview

To address both period poverty and pollution, I will ultimately design a reusable menstrual pad users can fabricate from natural fibers, readily available in both virgin and upcycled forms. First I must determine which natural fiber is best for fabricating the absorbent layer. After extensive research, I selected six candidate fabrics because they were natural/sustainable, available, and affordable. I developed, validated and executed a test method to determine how much liquid fabric retains when exposed to pressure over time. I then aged (12 wash/dry cycles) and tested the fabric to evaluate fabric absorbency over product life. My hypothesis was incorrect. However, my test method successfully determined hemp/cotton blend preforms best as the absorbent layer. I learned both the shape of the fiber and the weave influence absorbency (Fig. A and Fig. B). Surprisingly, every fabric improved absorbency after aging, indicating upcycled fabrics are more absorbent than virgin.

Source coverage

This record comes from a published award list, not a complete project archive. Its abstract comes from CSEF's public project showcase as archived by the Internet Archive before judging (https://web.archive.org/web/20230401224130/https://ca-csef.zfairs.com/showcase/ShowcaseInfo?f=838e60b7-ea75-46e8-865c-fde4864244b3); the version presented may differ.

Awards (1)

Competition history

  • CSEF 2023 Materials Science · Entry J1301

Resources

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