Sumitomo Seika Chemicals Co., Ltd.

Noriko Honda

Junichi Takatori

Tetsuhiro Hinayama

Shinya Fukudome

Kimihiko Kondo

Ayaka Watanabe

A method for producing a water-absorbent resin includes a polymerization step of polymerizing a polymerizable component containing a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer dissolved in water using a water-soluble azo-type radical polymerization initiator to obtain a reaction system including a water-absorbent resin precursor, and a dehydration step of removing water from the reaction system by heating. In the dehydration step, a water-soluble radical polymerization initiator is added to the reaction system at any first dehydration stage when the residual water rate calculated by the formula (1) is 50% or more, and a reducing substance is added to the reaction system at any second dehydration stage when the residual water rate decreases from that at the first dehydration stage by 10% or more. According to this production method, a water-absorbent resin having satisfactory water-absorption capacity can be produced while suppressing the content of residual monomers. 

Method for producing water-absorbent resin

The invention provides a novel method for producing a water-absorbent resin comprising: subjecting at least one water-soluble ethylenic unsaturated monomer to reversed-phase suspension polymerization in a petroleum hydrocarbon dispersion medium, the reversed-phase suspension polymerization being conducted using a 0.00005 to 0.00016 mole of water-soluble azo initiator for radical polymerization per mole of the water-soluble ethylenic unsaturated monomer in the presence of 0.000015 to 0.00015 mole of hypophosphorous compound per mole of the water-soluble ethylenic unsaturated monomer. According to the method, the environmental impact can be lessened by reducing the amount of petroleum hydrocarbon dispersion medium released to the outside of the system, and the method makes it possible to obtain a water-absorbent resin having a high water-retention capacity and water-absorption capacity under a load, and a small content of water soluble component at the same time.

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Kakogawa, Japan

Noriko Honda