Seitetsu Kagaku Co., Ltd.

Sumitomo Seika Chemicals Co., Ltd.

Hitoshi Tanaka

Morio Nakamura

Takushi Yamamoto

Shigeji Obayashi

Yuji Sakamoto

Yasuhiro Shimada

Hitoshi Ozawa

Shinichi Takemori

Motomu Hirakawa

Toshikazu Nakanishi

An improved process for the production of a water-absorbent resin by reversed phase suspension polymerization of a water-soluble ethylenic unsaturated monomer is disclosed. The process is conducted by subjecting an aqueous solution of a water-soluble ethylenic unsaturated monomer to reversed phase suspension polymerization reaction of a first stage in a petroleum hydrocarbon solvent in the presence of a surfactant and/or polymeric protective colloid by using a radical polymerization initiator optionally in the presence of a crosslinking agent, cooling the resulting slurry to precipitate the surfactant and/or polymeric protective colloid, and adding an aqueous solution of a water-soluble ethylenic unsaturated monomer containing a radical polymerization initiator and optionally a crosslinking agent to the first polymerization reaction system to further carry out the reversed phase suspension polymerization reaction, at least, once.

Process for production of water-absorbent resin

A water-absorbent resin composition having superior gel stability which comprises a water-absorbent resin, at least one oxygen-containing reducing inorganic salt and, optionally, at least one organic antioxidant.

Water-absorbent resin composition

A water-absorbent resin having excellent physical properties can be produced by a process wherein an aqueous solution containing an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid and an alkali metal salt thereof in a total amount of 25% by weight or more is subjected to polymerization with a radical polymerization initiator in a petroleum-based hydrocarbon solvent in the presence or absence of a crosslinking agent, characterized by using, as a surfactant, a polyglycerine--fatty acid ester having an HLB of 2 to 16 and represented by the general formula ##STR1## (wherein R is an acyl group or hydrogen atom and n is an integer of 0 to 8).

Process for producing a water-absorbent resin

A water-absorbent resin having an appropriate particle size and a narrow particle size distribution can be obtained by adding a powdered inorganic material in a proportion of 0.000005-0.2 part by weight to 1 part by weight of a water-absorbent resin containing therein a carboxylate as a component of the polymer with agitation in an inert solvent in the presence of 0.1-5.0 parts by weight of water and 0.005-0.2 part by weight of a surfactant and then removing water and the inert solvent by distillation.

Process for granulating a water-absorbent resin employing (a) water (b)

A water-absorbent resin usable as a suitable water absorbent in sanitary materials and other fields can be produced by subjecting an aqueous solution of an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid and of an alkali metal salt thereof to polymerization with a radical polymerization initiator in a petroleum-based hydrocarbon solvent in the presence or absence of a crosslinking agent and, in this polymerization, using a saccharose-fatty acid ester as a protective colloid agent.

Water-swellable elastomer composition consisting essentially of a homogeneous mixture of an elastomer, a water-absorbent resin and a water-soluble resin. Said composition exhibits a high degree of swelling and a high swelling rate when it is soaked in water. Also, said composition retains swellability even when it is put in contact with water for a long period of time.

Growing community of inventors

Himeji, Japan

Hitoshi Tanaka