Superabsorbent Polymer Reassembly Using Powder Binder
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for preparing superabsorbent polymers face challenges in reducing thermal losses and improving productivity during the reassembly of fine powders, which are generated during the production process and require significant water usage for drying, leading to inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A method involving crosslinking polymerization of water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomers, followed by gel grinding, drying, and surface crosslinking, where fine powders are reassembled using a powder-type polymer binder under solvent-free conditions, eliminating the need for water and reducing thermal losses, and incorporating polyethylene oxide as a binder for enhanced reassembly efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water is used to reassemble fine powders of superabsorbent polymer, then the fine powders can be reassembled into usable particles, but enormous thermal losses are generated during drying
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state of the binder from liquid (aqueous solution) to solid (powder form). By using powder-type polymer binder instead of aqueous binder, the drying step is eliminated entirely, as no water needs to be evaporated. This parameter change from liquid to solid state resolves the contradiction by enabling reassembly without subsequent thermal drying, thus eliminating thermal losses while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention exploits the phase transition concept by avoiding the liquid-to-vapor transition that causes thermal losses. Instead of using aqueous binder that requires evaporation (liquid to gas phase transition), the patent uses powder-type binder that undergoes no phase transition requiring heat input. The binder remains in solid state throughout the process, eliminating the need for thermal drying and thus resolving the energy loss issue.
2Manufacturing precision
If fine powders are generated during production process, then particle size distribution can be controlled, but productivity decreases due to need for reassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by pre-granulating the fine powders with powder-type binder before the main drying and processing steps. The fine powders are reassembled into larger granules in advance, which then proceed through the normal production flow. This preliminary reassembly action converts the problematic fine powders into usable particles that can be processed efficiently, thus resolving the productivity issue while maintaining particle size control.
Solution Approach 2:
The powder-type polymer binder acts as an intermediary material that facilitates the reassembly of fine powders. This binder mediates between the fine powder particles, binding them together to form larger granules with controlled size distribution. The intermediary binder enables the transformation from unwanted fine powders to desirable particles, resolving the contradiction between particle size control and productivity.
3Strength
If aqueous binder is used for reassembling fine powders, then binding effect is achieved, but water content requires additional drying step
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical state parameter of the binder from liquid to solid. By using powder-type polymer binder instead of aqueous binder, the water content parameter becomes zero, which eliminates the drying step entirely. This parameter change maintains the binding effect (strength) while removing the time-consuming drying process, thus resolving the contradiction between binding effectiveness and processing time.
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
This approach reduces thermal losses, improves productivity, and maintains excellent absorption performance by reassembling fine powders without water, utilizing polyethylene oxide for effective binding and reassembly, resulting in improved centrifuge retention capacity and process efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
reassembling the fine powders in the presence of a powder type of polymer binder to provide reassembled fine powders
Implementation Method 2
conducting crosslinking polymerization of water soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomers having acid groups of which at least a part are neutralized, in the presence of an internal crosslinking agent, to form hydrogel polymer including a first crosslinked polymer
Implementation Method 3
heat treating the base polymer powders to progress surface crosslinking, in the presence of a surface crosslinking agent
Implementation Method 4
A superabsorbent polymer (SAP) is a synthetic polymer material that can absorb moisture of 500 to 1000 times its own weight
Implementation Method 5
absorb moisture of 500 to 1000 times its own weight
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for preparing a superabsorbent polymer that progresses dry mixing of fine powders and a specific powder type of polymer binder when reassembling fine powders generated during the preparation process of a superabsorbent polymer, and thus obviates the necessity for a moisture drying process after reassembling fine powders, thereby reducing thermal losses, improving productivity, and obtaining a superabsorbent polymer having excellent basic absorption properties, and a superabsorbent polymer prepared by the method.