DEVELOPMENT OF SANITARY NAPKIN BY FLAX CARDING WASTE AS ABSORBENT CORE WITH HERBAL AND ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICIENCY

The prizes of sanitary napkins must come under the purchase capacity of lower income group in developing countries like India. Due to unhygienic menstrual habits of using unsanitized cloth, husk, sand etc., a large number of women suffer from "reproductive tract infections" that is about 70% in India. To reduce the product cost, flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), carding waste fibre was used as absorbent core, which was found usable for this purpose. The core sheet was treated with methenolic extract of Alovera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) gel. The samples of treated fibers were tested as per standard test methods of AATCC and EN ISO to assess its antimicrobial efficacy against S. Aureus, a leading cause of human infections. The treated samples have been found to have sufficient antimicrobial potential against text bacterium. The developed napkin was tested as per IS: 5405. On the basis of results it meets all the requirements of test methods. Comfort related features of product were assessed through grading done by a group of college going girls, showed satisfactory results.