Water Absorption Material Coating via Polymer Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional water absorption treatment materials have a reduced agglomerating function due to larger particle sizes of paper powder with adhered water-absorbent polymers, leading to lower adhesive strength and increased swelling when absorbing water.

Innovation Solution

A method for manufacturing water absorption treatment materials involves pulverizing remaining polymers adhering to paper powder using a fine pulverizer to reduce particle size, enhancing adhesive strength and agglomerating function, while also pulverizing separated polymers to improve their contribution to the coating portion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If paper powder with adhered water-absorbent polymer is used in the coating portion, then the material can be manufactured from sanitary products, but the particle size increases leading to lower adhesive strength and greater swelling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing from sanitary productsVSAvoidadhesive strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent separates the water-absorbent polymer from the paper powder into distinct components. The polymer is pulverized separately to a controlled particle size (10-50 μm) and then mixed with the paper powder, rather than using the combined adhered state. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component's properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the water-absorbent polymer from the adhered state on paper powder and processes it separately. By taking out the polymer for separate pulverization and sizing, the invention eliminates the harmful effect of large particle size while preserving the benefit of using sanitary product materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of manufacture

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing from sanitary productsVSAvoidswelling volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the polymer and paper powder into separate processing streams, allowing the polymer to be pulverized to a specific fine particle size (10-50 μm) before mixing. This controlled segmentation prevents the uncontrolled swelling that occurs with larger adhered polymer particles on paper powder.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the critical parameter of polymer particle size from the large size present when adhered to paper powder down to a controlled range of 10-50 μm through separate pulverization. This parameter change directly reduces the swelling volume while maintaining manufacturability from sanitary products.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If remaining polymers with large particle size are used in the coating portion, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the agglomerating function is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing process complexityVSAvoidagglomerating function

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a separation step that divides the processing into two streams: paper powder and polymer. The polymer stream undergoes separate pulverization to achieve fine particle size (10-50 μm), which enhances the agglomerating function. This segmentation adds a processing step but ensures reliable coating performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the polymer particle size parameter to a controlled fine range (10-50 μm) through separate pulverization, which directly improves the agglomerating function. This parameter optimization ensures that the coating portion reliably binds grains together during use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 method improves the agglomerating function and reduces swelling, maintaining adhesive strength per unit volume, and prevents the coating portion from peeling away, thus enhancing the performance and usability of the water absorption treatment material.

Implementation Method 1

a first pulverizing step of pulverizing remaining polymers that are the water-absorbent polymers remaining on the paper powder, using a first pulverizer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical force: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentUS11911746B2Method for manufacturing water absorption treatment material

Publication Date: 2024.02.27 DAIKI CO LTD

AI summary

A method for manufacturing a water absorption treatment material made of a plurality of grains includes a preparing step, a pulverizing step, a core portion forming step, and a coating portion forming step. The preparing step is a step of preparing a paper powder to which water-absorbent polymers adhere, the paper powder being derived from a sanitary product. The pulverizing step is a step of pulverizing remaining polymers using a pulverizer. The core portion forming step is a step of forming a core portion constituting each of the grains The coating portion forming step is a step of forming a coating portion so as to cover the core portion, the coating portion containing the paper powder, and the remaining polymers pulverized in the pulverizing step. In the pulverizing step, the remaining polymers left in a state of adhering to the paper powder are subjected to the pulverizer.