WATER-ABSORBING POLYMER STRUCTURES PRODUCED USING POLYMER DISPERSIONS

摘要

The present invention relates to a process for producing water-absorbing polymer structures, comprising the process steps of: i) preparing an aqueous monomer solution containing a polymerizable, monoethylenically unsaturated acid-functional monomer (a1) or a salt thereof, optionally a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer (a2) that can be polymerized with the monomer (a1) and, optionally, a crosslinker (a3), ii) free-radical polymerization of the aqueous monomer solution to obtain a polymer gel, iii) optionally comminuting the polymer gel, iv) drying the optionally comminuted polymer gel to obtain water-absorbing polymer structures, v) optionally grinding and screening the water-aborbing polymer structures, and vi) surface postcrosslinking of the optionally ground and screened water-absorbing polymer structures, wherein: I) a thermoplastic polymer is added to the aqueous monomer solution before process step (ii) or during process step (ii), preferably before process step (ii), II) a thermoplastic polymer is added to the polymer gel after process step (ii) and before process step (iv) or during process step (iv), preferably before process step (iv), or III) a thermoplastic polymer is added to the water-absorbing polymer structure after process step (iv). The invention also relates to the water-absorbing polymer structures obtainable by this process, to water-absorbing polymer structures, to a composite, to a process for producing a composite, to the composite obtainable by this process, to chemical products such as foams, mouldings, fibres, foils, films, cables, sealing materials, liquid-absorbing hygiene articles, carriers for plant and fungal growth regulators, packaging materials, soil additives or building materials, to the use of water-absorbing polymer structures, and to the use of thermoplastic polymers.