Process for the continuous preparation of water-absorbent polymers

摘要

The invention relates generally to a process for the preparation of water-absorbent polymer particles, comprising the process steps of
(i) preparing an aqueous monomer solution comprising at least partially neutralized, monoethylenically unsaturated monomers bearing carboxylic acid groups (±1) and at least one crosslinker (±3);
(ii) optionally adding fine particles of a water-absorbent polymer or aqueous salt solutions to the aqueous monomer solution;
(iii) adding a polymerization initiator or a at least one component of a polymerization initiator system that comprises two or more components to the aqueous monomer solution;
(iv) decreasing the oxygen content of the aqueous monomer solution;
(v) charging the aqueous monomer solution into a polymerization reactor;
(vi) polymerizing the monomers in the aqueous monomer solution in the polymerization reactor;
(vii) discharging the polymer gel strand out of the polymerization reactor and optionally comminuting the polymer gel thereby obtaining polymer gel particles;
(viii) drying the polymer gel particles;
(ix) grinding the dried polymer gel particles thereby obtaining particulate water-absorbent polymer particles;
(x) sizing the grinded water-absorbent polymer particles; and
(xi) crosslinking the surface of the grinded and sized water-absorbent polymer particles;
wherein process step (xi) comprises the steps of:
(x1a) mixing the particles with an aqueous crosslinker solution; and
(x2a) heat-treating the mixture obtained in process step (x1a) in a horizontally operated mixing device,
wherein the horizontally operated mixing device is hydraulically driven.