Ligno cellulosic materials and the products made therefrom

1. A personal hygiene article for absorbing fluids, the article comprising:

at least one fluid permeable top sheet layer and at least one substantially fluid impermeable back sheet layer; and an absorbent sub layer material interposed between the top sheet layer and the back sheet layer, the sub layer material comprising a treated lignocellulosic material, comprising:

a viscosity equal to or less than about 10 cps; and

functional groups selected from the group consisting of aldehyde functional groups, hemiacetal functional groups, and combinations thereof;

said treated lignocellulosic material made by a process comprising treating a lignocellulosic material by adding from 0.01 to 0.1% of a catalyst by weight of the lignocellulosic material wherein said catalyst comprises a transition metal selected from iron, zinc, cobalt, nickel, manganese, tungsten, zirconium, cerium, chromium and combinations thereof in the presence of from 0.5 to 5% oxidizing agent by weight of the lignocellulosic material wherein said oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid and any combination thereof at a pH from about 2 to about 6 to form said treated lignocellulosic material without refining thereafter said treating step.

2. The personal hygiene article for absorbing fluids according to claim 1 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material is wood pulp.

3. The personal hygiene article for absorbing fluids according to claim 1 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 3.

4. The personal hygiene article for absorbing fluids according to claim 1 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 4.4.

5. The personal hygiene article for absorbing fluids according to claim 1 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 5.

6. The personal hygiene article for absorbing fluids according to claim 1 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 5.5.

7. The personal hygiene article for absorbing fluids according to claim 1 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a carboxy number equal to or more than about 3.5 meq/100 grams of oven dried treated material.

8. The personal hygiene article for absorbing fluids according to claim 1 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a carboxy number equal to or more than about 4 meq/100 grams of oven dried treated lignocellulosic material.

9. The personal hygiene article for absorbing fluids according to claim 1 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a carboxy number equal to or more than about 5 meq/100 grams of oven dried treated lignocellulosic material.

10. The personal hygiene article for absorbing fluids according to claim 1 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a carboxy number equal to or more than about meq/100 grams of oven dried treated lignocellulosic material.

11. An absorbent material, comprising:

a fluffed base-treated wood pulp, prepared by a process comprising:

dry shredding a treated lignocellulosic material, the treated lignocellulosic material comprising:

a viscosity equal to or less than about 10 cps; and

functional groups selected from the group consisting of aldehyde functional groups, hemiacetal functional groups, and combinations thereof;

said treated lignocellulosic material made by a process comprising treating a lignocellulosic material by adding from 0.01 to 0.1% of a catalyst by weight of the lignocellulosic material wherein said catalyst comprises a transition metal selected from iron, zinc, cobalt, nickel, manganese, tungsten, zirconium, cerium, chromium and combinations thereof in the presence of from 0.5 to 5% oxidizing agent by weight of the lignocellulosic material wherein said oxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, hypochlorous acid and any combination thereof at a pH from about 2 to about 6 to form said treated lignocellulosic material without refining thereafter said treating step.

12. The absorbent material according to claim 11 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 3.

13. The absorbent material according to claim 11 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 4.4.

14. The absorbent material according to claim 11 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 5.

15. The absorbent material according to claim 11 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a copper number equal to or greater than about 5.5.

16. The absorbent material according to claim 11 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a carboxy number equal to or more than about 3.5 meq/100 grams of oven dried treated material.

17. The absorbent material according to claim 11 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a carboxy number equal to or more than about 4 meq/100 grams of oven dried treated lignocellulosic material.

18. The absorbent material according to claim 11 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a carboxy number equal to or more than about 5 meq/100 grams of oven dried treated lignocellulosic material.

19. The absorbent material according to claim 11 , wherein the treated lignocellulosic material has a carboxy number equal to or more than about meq/100 grams of oven dried treated lignocellulosic material.

20. An absorbent composite useful for personal hygiene articles, comprising:

at least one fluid permeable top sheet layer;

at least one substantially fluid impermeable back sheet layer; and

the absorbent material according to claim 11 interposed between the top sheet layer and back sheet layer.