Elf Atochem S.a.

Thierry Guerin

Christian Collette

Shu R Rebre

Superabsorbent, high gel strength/short gel time acrylic polymers, well suited for the production of items of feminine hygiene/adult incontinence, are prepared by (a) inversely suspending an aqueous acrylic monomer phase in an organic solvent in the presence of an emulsifying agent having an HLB of from 8 to 12, the aqueous monomer phase also comprising a crosslinking agent therefor, (b) polymerizing the inverse suspension of acrylic monomer into a polymer gel, (c) absorbing a second charge of acrylic monomer into the polymer gel thus attained, the ratio of the amount of the second monomer charge to the amount of monomer in the beginning aqueous phase ranging from 1 to 1.2, (d) introducing a surfactant having an HLB of from 2 to 5 into the medium of polymerization, and (e) polymerizing the second monomer charge within the polymer gel.

Superabsorbent polymers

Particulates of a superabsorbent polymer, e.g., an acrylic polymer such as polyacrylic acid, well suited for a variety of hygienic applications, are prepared by (i) suspending an aqueous solution of a water-soluble monomer charge I in a hydrocarbon medium by means of a polymerizable surfactant having the general formula:

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Fontenay S/Bois, France

Thierry Guerin