Unicharm Corporation

Naoyuki Funamizu

Takayoshi Konishi

Toru Oba

Kouichi Yamaki

Haruna Onodera

Ryusei Ito

Hiroki Yoshikawa

Nowaki Hijikata

Ken Ushijima

Koichi Yamaki

Kizuku Tsubouchi

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a method for regenerating a highly water-absorbing polymer that has been deactivated by an acid, the method enabling formation of a highly water-absorbing recycled polymer having predetermined water absorption properties. The regeneration method according to the present disclosure is configured as follows. This method regenerates a highly water-absorbing polymer that has been deactivated by an acid into a highly water-absorbing recycled polymer having predetermined water absorption properties. The method includes: a preparation step (S) for preparing a highly water-absorbing polymer which has an acid group and which has been deactivated by an acid; a highly water-absorbing recycled polymer-forming step (S) for adding an alkali metal ion source, which can supply an alkali metal ion, to a regeneration-use aqueous solution that contains the highly water-absorbing polymer that has been deactivated by an acid, and forming the highly water-absorbing recycled polymer in a wet state from the highly water-absorbing polymer that has been deactivated by the acid; and a drying step for drying the highly water-absorbing recycled polymer in a wet state and forming the highly water-absorbing recycled polymer having the predetermined water absorption properties.

Method for regenerating highly water-absorbing polymer, method for producing highly water-absorbing recycled polymer, and use of alkali metal ion source

A method enabling a used superabsorbent polymer recovered from used absorbent, etc., to be readily and inexpensively recovered without using acids or alkalies. The used superabsorbent polymer is treated with an aqueous solution of a multivalent metal salt such as calcium chloride, etc., the superabsorbent polymer treated with the aqueous solution of a multivalent metal salt is treated with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal salt such as sodium chloride, etc., the superabsorbent polymer treated with the aqueous solution of an alkali metal salt is washed with water, and the superabsorbent polymer washed with water is then dried.

Method for reclaiming used superabsorbent polymer

Growing community of inventors

Hokkaido, Japan

Naoyuki Funamizu