Process for producing superabsorbents

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12454503-B2
Application number	US-201917289302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2019
Priority date	Nov 14, 2018
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for producing superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising polymerization of a monomer solution, wherein the monomer solution comprises partly neutralized acrylic acid formed by continuous mixing of acrylic acid and an aqueous solution of a base, the apparatus for preparing the partly neutralized acrylic acid comprises a vessel (B), and the vessel (B) has a cylindrical shape and a torispherical bottom.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for producing superabsorbent polymer particles, comprising polymerizing a monomer solution, comprising
a) partly neutralized acrylic acid,
b) at least one crosslinker, and
c) at least one initiator,

drying a resulting polymer gel, optionally grinding and optionally classifying a resulting dried polymer gel and optionally thermally post-crosslinking and cooling resulting polymer particles, wherein the partly neutralized acrylic acid is formed by continuous mixing of acrylic acid, an aqueous solution of a base, and optionally water, an apparatus for preparing the partly neutralized acrylic acid comprises a ring line (R), a vessel (B), a heat exchanger (W), and a pump (P), wherein the vessel (B) has a cylindrical shape having a diameter d and a torispherical bottom, and the torispherical bottom has a dish having a radius r 1 of 0.8 to 1.2 d and a toroidal shaped knuckle having a radius r 2 of 0.06 to 0.17 d.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the diameter d of the cylindrical part of the vessel (B) is from 1 to 5 m.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein an inner volume of the vessel (B) is from 10 to 50 m 3 .

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a filling level of the vessel (B) is from 10 to 80%, wherein the filling level is a quotient of a volume of partly neutralized acrylic acid in vessel (B) and an inner volume of the vessel (B).

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a residence time of the partly neutralized acrylic acid in vessel (B) is from 10 to 80 minutes, wherein the residence time is a quotient of a volume of partly neutralized acrylic acid in vessel (B) and a feed per minute to the apparatus for preparing the partly neutralized acrylic acid.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a feed line to vessel (B) ends inside vessel (B) below a liquid level of the partly neutralized acrylic acid.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a feed line to vessel (B) ends less than 1.5 m above the bottom of the vessel (B).

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein an outlet of vessel (B) is in a center of the bottom of vessel (B) and a horizontal distance of a center of a feed line to vessel (B) from the center of the bottom of vessel (B) is from 0.50 to 1.50 m.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a feed line to vessel (B) has a cylindrical shape and a diameter from 0.1 to 0.5 m.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the base is sodium hydroxide, sodium hydrogen carbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium hydroxide, potassium hydrogen carbonate, and/or potassium carbonate.

11. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a degree of neutralization of the partly neutralized acrylic acid is from 40 to 85 mol-%.

12. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a solids content of the partly neutralized acrylic acid is from 20 to 60% by weight.

13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the partly neutralized acrylic acid is from 20 to 70° C.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein from 75 to 98% of the partly neutralized acrylic acid is recycled via the ring line (R), based on the amount of partly neutralized acrylic acid discharged from vessel (B).

15. A hygiene article, comprising superabsorbent polymer particles prepared according to a process of claim 1 .

16. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a filling level of the vessel (B) is from 20 to 70%, wherein the filling level is a quotient of a volume of partly neutralized acrylic acid in vessel (B) and an inner volume of the vessel (B).

17. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a filling level of the vessel (B) is from 30 to 60%, wherein the filling level is a quotient of a volume of partly neutralized acrylic acid in vessel (B) and an inner volume of the vessel (B).

18. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the partly neutralized acrylic acid is formed in said ring line (R).

Assignees

• Basf Se

Inventors

• Peterson Monte Alan
• De Kaey Ronny
• Possemiers Karl
• Schroeder Juergen
• Funk Ruediger
• Weismantel Matthias

Classifications

• B01J19/2465

  externally, i.e. the mixture leaving the vessel and subsequently re-entering it · CPC title

• B01J19/24

  Stationary reactors without moving elements inside (B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence; with stationary particles B01J8/02) · CPC title

• B01J2220/68

  Superabsorbents · CPC title

• B01J2219/1945

  toroidal · CPC title

• B01J2219/1942

  spherical · CPC title