Poly(acrylic acid) from bio-based acrylic acid and its derivatives

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10344108-B2
Application number	US-201715707177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2017
Priority date	Apr 11, 2012
Publication date	Jul 9, 2019
Grant date	Jul 9, 2019

Abstract

Bio-based glacial acrylic acid, produced from hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof and having impurities of hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof, is polymerized to poly(acrylic acid) or superabsorbent polymer using the same processes as petroleum-derived glacial acrylic acid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A superabsorbent polymer composition produced from an acrylic composition, wherein said acrylic composition comprises an acrylic acid composition, wherein said acrylic acid composition consists of acrylic acid, acrylic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof, wherein said acrylic acid composition comprises at least about 98 wt % acrylic acid, acrylic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof, and wherein a portion of the remaining impurities in said acrylic acid composition is hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof is lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof.

3. The superabsorbent polymer composition of claim 2 produced by the steps comprising:
a. Preparing a pre-polymerization solution comprising:
(i) said acrylic composition, and
(ii) a solvent;
and wherein the pH of said pre-polymerization solution is less than about 6;

b. Combining an initiator with said pre-polymerization solution to produce a polymerization mixture;
c. Polymerizing said polymerization mixture to produce a gel; and
d. Drying said gel to produce the superabsorbent polymer composition.

4. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the amount of said acrylic acid composition in said pre-polymerization solution is from about 5 wt % to about 95 wt %.

5. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the amount of said initiator is from about 0.01% wt % to about 10 wt %, based on the total amount of said acrylic acid composition in said pre-polymerization solution.

6. The composition of claim 3 , wherein said pre-polymerization solution further comprises a crosslinking agent in an amount of less than about 10 wt %, based on the total amount of said acrylic acid composition in said pre-polymerization solution.

7. The composition of claim 3 , wherein said pre-polymerization solution further comprises a dispersing aid.

8. The composition of claim 3 , wherein said solvent is water.

9. The superabsorbent polymer composition of claim 2 produced by the steps comprising:
a. Preparing a pre-polymerization solution comprising:
(i) said acrylic composition, and
(ii) a solvent;

b. Mixing a base into said pre-polymerization solution to form a partially neutralized acrylic acid solution, and wherein the pH of said partially neutralized acrylic acid solution is less than about 6;
c. Combining an initiator with said partially neutralized acrylic acid solution to produce a polymerization mixture;
d. Polymerizing said polymerization mixture to produce a gel; and
e. Drying said gel to produce said superabsorbent polymer composition.

10. The composition of claim 9 , wherein said partially neutralized acrylic acid solution comprises at least about 20 mol % of an acrylic acid salt, based on the total amount of said acrylic acid composition, and wherein said acrylic acid salt is produced in said mixing step.

11. The composition of claim 9 , wherein said partially neutralized acrylic acid solution comprises at least about 40 mol % of an acrylic acid salt, based on the total amount of said acrylic acid composition, and wherein said acrylic acid salt is produced in said mixing step.

12. The composition of claim 9 , wherein said partially neutralized acrylic acid solution comprises at least about 60 mol % of an acrylic acid salt, based on the total amount of said acrylic acid composition, and wherein said acrylic acid salt is produced in said mixing step.

13. The composition of claim 9 , wherein said partially neutralized acrylic acid solution comprises at least about 80 mol % of an acrylic acid salt, based on the total amount of said acrylic acid composition, and wherein said acrylic acid salt is produced in said mixing step.

14. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the amount of said acrylic acid composition in said pre-polymerization solution is from about 5 wt % to about 95 wt %.

15. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the amount of said initiator is from about 0.01% wt % to about 10 wt %, based on the total amount of said acrylic acid composition in said pre-polymerization solution.

16. The composition of claim 9 , wherein said pre-polymerization solution further comprises a crosslinking agent in an amount of less than about 10 wt %.

17. The composition of claim 9 , wherein said pre-polymerization solution further comprises a dispersing aid.

18. The composition of claim 9 , wherein said solvent is water.

19. The superabsorbent polymer composition of claim 2 produced by the steps comprising:
a. Preparing a pre-polymerization solution comprising:
(i) said acrylic composition, and
(ii) a solvent,
and wherein, the pH of said pre-polymerization solution is less than about 6;

b. Combining an initiator with said pre-polymerization solution to produce a polymerization mixture;
c. Polymerizing said polymerization mixture to produce a gel;
d. Adding a crosslinking agent to said gel to produce a crosslinked surface polymer; and
e. Drying said crosslinked surface polymer to produce said superabsorbent polymer composition.

20. The composition of claim 19 , wherein the amount of said acrylic acid composition in said pre-polymerization solution is from about 5 wt % to about 95 wt %.

21. The composition of claim 19 , wherein the amount of said initiator is from about 0.01% wt % to about 10 wt %, based on the total amount of said acrylic acid composition in said pre-polymerization solution.

22. The composition of claim 19 , wherein said pre-polymerization solution further comprises a crosslinking agent in an amount of less than about 10 wt %.

23. The composition of claim 19 , wherein said pre-polymerization solution further comprises a dispersing aid.

24. The composition of claim 19 , wherein said solvent is water.

25. The superabsorbent polymer composition of claim 2 produced by the steps comprising:
a. Preparing a pre-polymerization solution comprising:
(i) said acrylic composition, and
(ii) a solvent;

b. Mixing a base into said pre-polymerization solution to form a partially neutralized acrylic acid solution, and wherein the pH of said partially neutralized acrylic acid solution is less than about 6;
c. Combining an initiator with said partially neutralized acrylic acid solution to produce a polymerization mixture;
d. Polymerizing said polymerization mixture to produce a gel; and
e. Adding a crosslinking agent to said gel to produce a crosslinked surface polymer; and
f. Drying said crosslinked surface polymer to produce said superabsorbent polymer composition.

26. The composition of claim 25 , wherein said partially neutralized acrylic acid solution comprises at least about 20 mol % of an acrylic acid salt, based on the total amount of said acrylic acid composition, and wherein said acrylic acid salt is produced in said mixing step.

27. The composition of claim 25 , wherein said partially neutralized acrylic acid solution comprises at least about 40 mol % of an acrylic acid salt, based on the total amount of said acrylic acid composition, and wherein said acrylic acid salt is produced in said mixing step.

28. The composition of claim 25 , wherein said partially neutralized acrylic acid solution comprises at least about 60 mol % of an acrylic acid salt, based on the total amount of said acrylic acid

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Godlewski Jane Ellen
• Lingoes Janette Villalobos
• Collias Dimitris Ioannis
• Meyer Axel
• Dziezok Peter
• Velasquez Juan Esteban

Classifications

• A61L15/60 Primary

  Liquid-swellable gel-forming materials, e.g. super-absorbents · CPC title

• C08F20/06 Primary

  Acrylic acid; Methacrylic acid; Metal salts or ammonium salts thereof · CPC title

• C08L33/02

  Homopolymers or copolymers of acids; Metal or ammonium salts thereof · CPC title

• C08F220/06

  Acrylic acid; Methacrylic acid; Metal salts or ammonium salts thereof · CPC title

• Y10T428/31855

  Of addition polymer from unsaturated monomers · CPC title