Water-absorbent resin and production process.

摘要

This invention relates to a water-absorbent resin of a new, novel type obtained from polymerization of water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer and a process for producing this resin. The water-absorbent resin in this invention has average particle diameter in a specially defined range and a narrow range of particle distribution, being superior in water-absorption capacity, and also, being superior in handling properties in a point of that, when being mixed with liquid, formation of a fish-eye is absent. The water-absorbent resin shows an angle-lacking, non-sphere shape and, in a case of shape like this, is superior in handling properties in a point that being hard in falling off from an basis material. Although the production process is performed to get a water-absorbent resin by carrying out polymerization in a reverse-phase suspension polymerization method, since the aqueous monomer solution is chosen from a specially defined viscosity range and dispersed and suspended by using a specially defined dispersing agent, a water-absorbent resin is easily obtainable wherein, not only the average particle diameter is controlled by adjusting the viscosity of an aqueous monomer solution, but also the particle diameter distribution is narrow. The water-absorbent resin obtained shows that a water-soluble component is small, so that it is very good for sanitary reasons. In this method, it is possible to vary the particle shape by changing up and down the viscosity of an aqueous monomer solution in an above-described specially defined range. The water-absorbent resin in this invention, because of having the above-described properties, is preferably used for sanitary materials and the like.