Process for production of hydrogel particles and process for cutting of high-concentration hydrogel sheet

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to make it possible that: a high-concentration hydrogel sheet, which is suitable for production of high-performance water-absorbent resin particles, is cut efficiently without involving the adhesion to such as cutting-blades; and the subsequent disintegration operation is also successfully carried out; and hydrogel particles excellent in the quality and performances are efficiently produced. As a means of achieving this object, the process according to the present invention for production of hydrogel particles is a process for production of the hydrogel particlesfrom a high-concentration hydrogel sheetand comprises: a step (a) of cutting a continuous sheetof a crosslinked high-concentration hydrogel polymer of 50 to 80 weight % in solid component concentration every 10 to 100 cm lengthwise of the continuous sheetwhile running it lengthwise, thereby obtaining cut pieces; and a step (b) of continuously supplying the cut pieces(obtained from the step (a)) to a continuous disintegratorto continuously carry out disintegration and discharge under conditions where the supply amount of the cut piecesand the disintegrating and discharging abilities of the continuous disintegratorsatisfy (supply amount)≦(disintegrating and discharging abilities), thereby obtaining the hydrogel particles