Porous Superabsorbent Polymer for Absorption and Deodorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing super absorbent polymers face challenges in maintaining high absorption performance while also providing effective deodorizing effects against odor-causing substances, as adjustments for deodorizing functions often deteriorate absorption performance.
Innovation Solution
A polyacrylic acid (salt)-based super absorbent polymer with a surface area of 45 mm−1 or more relative to the actual volume and a deodorization rate of 40% or more for odor-causing substances like dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide, achieved through controlled polymerization and surface crosslinking processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the structure or physical properties of the super absorbent polymers are adjusted for deodorizing function, then the deodorizing effect is improved, but the absorption performance is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent forms a porous structure in the base resin powder by including a foaming agent in a monomer composition and performing crosslinking polymerization. The porous structure increases the surface area of the super absorbent polymer particles, providing more active sites for both absorption and deodorization functions simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by incorporating a foaming agent within the polymer matrix, resulting in a material that combines the absorption properties of the super absorbent polymer with the deodorizing properties of the porous structure. This composite approach allows both functions to coexist and enhance each other.
2Productivity
If a foaming agent is used to expand the surface area of the super absorbent polymer, then the absorption rate is improved, but various physical properties such as surface tension, liquid permeability, and bulk density are deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the formulation parameters by carefully selecting the type and amount of foaming agent, crosslinking conditions, and polymerization parameters. By controlling these parameters, the patent achieves an optimal balance between surface area expansion (improving absorption rate) and maintaining essential physical properties like surface tension, liquid permeability, and bulk density.
3Volume of moving object
If the pulp content is reduced to provide thinner products, then the product thickness is reduced, but the proportion of super absorbent polymers increases, making absorption rate even more critical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous structure within the super absorbent polymer particles, which increases the internal surface area available for absorption. This allows the polymer to achieve high absorption rates even in reduced quantities, enabling thinner product designs without compromising performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from relying on particle size reduction to achieve faster absorption to creating a three-dimensional porous network structure within the particles. This dimensional change provides extensive absorption pathways and surface area within the same particle volume, enabling high performance in thinner configurations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The polymer maintains excellent absorption performance and effectively reduces odor-causing substances, achieving deodorization rates of up to 52% for dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide, while also having a large surface area for efficient fluid absorption.
Implementation Method 1
super absorbent polymers are synthetic polymer materials that may absorb 500 to 1,000 times its own weight in water
Implementation Method 2
the importance of the absorption rate of the super absorbent polymer is increasing
Implementation Method 3
a method of forming a porous structure in a base resin powder by including a foaming agent in a monomer composition and performing crosslinking polymerization to expand the surface area of the super absorbent polymer
Implementation Method 4
the deodorizing effects are additionally required for the super absorbent polymers... a super absorbent polymer having both excellent absorption performance and deodorizing effect against odor-causing substances
Data Source
AI summary
A super absorbent polymer of a polyacrylic acid (salt)-based super absorbent polymer, has a surface area of 45 mm−1 or more relative to an actual volume, and a deodorization rate of 40% or more according to the following Equation 1 for dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) or dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS): [Equation 1] Deodorization rate (%)=(1−Cs/Co)×100. In Equation 1, Cs is a peak area of an odor standard substance in a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) graph for an odor standard substance solution that contacted the super absorbent polymer at 35° C. for 2 hours, and Co is a peak area of an odor standard substance in a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry graph for an odor standard substance solution that contacted a control group at 35° C. for 2 hours.