The materials of disposable dog pads are usually designed in layers according to functions (surface layer, absorption layer, bottom layer). The materials of different layers directly affect their water absorption, air permeability and anti-leakage properties. The details are as follows:
I. Surface layer (in direct contact with pet skin)
Non-woven fabric: The most common material, bonded by fibers such as polyester and polypropylene. It is light, thin and soft, can quickly divert liquid to the absorption layer, has good air permeability and low cost; but its wear resistance is general, and it is easy to be scratched and damaged by pets. Tianjin Yiyi uses self-produced 3S long fiber spunbond non-woven fabric to produce dog pads, which have better wear resistance than ordinary short fibers.
Bamboo fiber tissue: Made from natural bamboo as raw material, it is environmentally friendly and has a certain antibacterial property, is breathable and soft, but has a slightly higher cost.
White tissue: It absorbs water very quickly, serves as an auxiliary absorption material, and is used to stabilize the absorption structure.
II. Absorption layer (core water-locking layer)
Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP): The "core water-absorbing component" of disposable dog pads. It can absorb dozens to hundreds of times its own weight of liquid and convert it into a gel-like state to lock in water, with strong anti-reverse osmosis effect; however, its absorption speed is slow, so it is usually not used alone and needs to be used with other materials. Tianjin Yiyi uses polymers with an absorption rate of 200. Just a few grams can achieve a water absorption capacity of thousands of milliliters.
Fluff pulp (wood pulp): Made from wood fibers, it is fluffy and absorbs water quickly, can assist in dispersing liquid, allowing the liquid to be absorbed by the dog pad evenly and quickly; but when used alone, its water-locking property is weak and it is easy to agglomerate, so it is often used in combination with SAP. In terms of cost, clean and traceable virgin wood pulp has a high price, while recycled secondary wood pulp has a relatively high content of chemical additives but a relatively low price.
Composite absorption layer: A mainstream design, that is, the combination of "fluff pulp + SAP". The fluff pulp is responsible for absorption speed and absorption area, and SAP is responsible for absorption capacity and water locking. The combination of the two can take into account water absorption performance and anti-reverse osmosis performance, with high absorption efficiency and high cost performance.
III. Bottom layer (anti-leakage layer)
PE film: Made of polyethylene material, it is completely waterproof, can prevent liquid from penetrating into the floor, and is the standard bottom layer for disposable dog pads; but it has poor air permeability, and long-term contact may cause local stuffiness.
Breathable PE film: Micro air-permeable holes are added on the ordinary PE film, taking into account waterproofness and a certain degree of air permeability, reducing the stuffiness of the bottom layer, suitable for scenarios with higher requirements for comfort, and the cost is slightly higher.
IV. Functional added materials
Antibacterial ingredients: Adding silver ions, hydrogen ions or plant extracts with antibacterial functions to the surface layer of disposable dog pads can inhibit the growth of bacteria and reduce odor.
Activated carbon: Adding carbon paper to the surface layer of disposable dog pads can reduce odor through the adsorption effect of activated carbon.
The combination of different materials determines the performance of disposable dog pads. For example, the "non-woven fabric + tissue + fluff pulp + SAP + PE film" focuses on high cost performance and high water absorption, suitable for daily use; the "non-woven fabric + bamboo tissue + fluff pulp + SAP + breathable PE film" focuses more on environmental protection, antibacterial properties and comfort, suitable for pets sensitive to materials.
