JPH08120013A - Production of highly water-absorbing resin - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain a highly water-absorbing resin which suffers little from the deposition of polymer scales on the inside wall, etc., of a reactor during its production, is suppressed in the formation of fine particles, has an easily handleable suitable mean particle diameter, a sharp particle diameter distribution, a high strength of a swollen gel, and a high water-absorbing capacity, and is reduced in the extent of oozing of the absorbed substance. CONSTITUTION: An aqueous solution of a water-soluble unsaturated monomer comprising a partially neutralized salt of (meth)acrylic acid is subjected to a reverse-phase suspension polymerization reaction in the presence of a β-1,3- glucan in a hydrocarbon solvent to obtain a highly water-absorbing resin. After the water content of this resin is adjusted to 10-30wt.%, the resin is brought into contact with a surface crosslinking agent to initiate the crosslinking reaction of the surface of the resin and 5-20wt.% water is added to the system when 20-85wt.% of the entire crosslinking agent has reacted with the resin to continue the crosslinking reaction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention has a moderate average particle size and a sharp particle size distribution which are less likely to cause scaling in a reactor or a stirring blade during polymerization, suppress the generation of fine particles, and are easy to handle. Relates to a method for producing a highly water-absorbent resin in which the strength of the swollen gel is high, the water absorption capacity is high, and the amount of wet back is small.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Super absorbent polymers having the property of absorbing a large amount of water are useful as a body fluid absorbent that absorbs body fluids and prevents leakage in sanitary and sanitary products. It is also used in applications such as seed coating agents, waterstops, thickeners, anti-condensation agents, sludge coagulants, desiccants, and humidity control agents.

As the super absorbent polymer, various kinds of starch-acrylonitrile graft polymer partially hydrolyzate, polyacrylic acid partially neutralized salt, polyethylene oxide system, polyacrylonitrile system, polyvinyl alcohol system, or cross-linking system thereof are used. Among them, from the viewpoint of quality and performance, among them, (meth) acrylic acid and (meth) acrylic acid water-soluble salt were obtained by reverse phase suspension polymerization in a hydrocarbon solvent. Partially neutralized salts of polyacrylic acid are particularly useful.

When reverse phase suspension polymerization of (meth) acrylic acid and a water-soluble salt of (meth) acrylic acid in a hydrocarbon solvent is carried out in the presence of a surfactant as a dispersion stabilizer. Is normal. As the surfactant for this purpose, sorbitan fatty acid ester, sucrose fatty acid ester, polyglycerin fatty acid ester, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, polyoxyethylene acyl ester, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, oxyethylene-oxypropylene block copolymer is used. The starting surfactants are used.

In the reverse phase suspension polymerization, a water-soluble polymer may coexist with or in place of the surfactant as exemplified above. The purpose of coexistence with the water-soluble polymer is to provide a protective colloid, thickening or grafting, and it is expected that the effects such as improvement of suspension stability and regulation of particle size can be obtained.

[0006] When the reverse phase suspension polymerization of (meth) acrylic acid and the water-soluble salt of (meth) acrylic acid in a hydrocarbon solvent is carried out, coexistence of a water-soluble polymer is disclosed in the following applications. There is something like.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-153907 discloses an HL
It is disclosed that a mixed surfactant of a sorbitan fatty acid ester having a B value in the range of 1 to 8 and a sucrose fatty acid ester having an HLB value in the range of 1 to 6 coexists. , Sorbitan monostearate and sucrose fatty acid ester are coexistent with hydroxyethyl cellulose.

In JP-A-2-196802, a sucrose fatty acid ester and / or a polyglycerin fatty acid ester is used as a dispersant, and in order to adjust the viscosity of a water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer aqueous solution, a hydroxy compound is used. Ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose,
It is described that a thickener such as methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, polyethylene glycol, polyacrylamide, polyethyleneimine, polyacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid (partial) neutralized product crosslinked product, dextrin, sodium alginate can be used,
In the example, an example in which hydroxyethyl cellulose or sodium polyacrylate is present in the aqueous monomer solution is given.

JP-A-3-195713 discloses that an acrylic acid-based monomer containing (meth) acrylic acid and its salt as a main component is used as a dispersant in the presence of a water-soluble radical polymerization initiator and hydroxyethyl cellulose. HLB3
It has been shown to polymerize by the water-in-oil type reverse phase suspension polymerization method using sorbitan fatty acid ester of ~ 6.

JP-A-56-76419 discloses that an aqueous solution of an alkali metal acrylate containing hydroxyethyl cellulose is dispersed in the presence of a sorbitan fatty acid ester of HLB 3 to 6 and polymerized in the absence of a crosslinking agent. A method of making a water-swellable polymer is shown.

In JP-A-60-36534, sorbitan fatty acid ester, cellulose ether (ethyl cellulose, benzyl cellulose, etc.), cellulose ester (cellulose acetate, cellulose butyrate) is used as a protective colloid for reverse phase suspension polymerization. , Cellulose acetate butyrate, etc.) and polymer dispersants (maleinated polybutadiene, maleated polyethylene, maleated α-olefin, etc.) can be used.

JP-A-63-118308 describes that graft polymerization may be carried out in the presence of a monomer component such as a partially neutralized salt of acrylic acid and starch, cellulose or a derivative thereof, polyvinyl alcohol or the like. There is.

In JP-A-60-186506, in suspension polymerization of an aqueous solution of poly (meth) acrylate in a hydrocarbon or a halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon, oil-soluble cellulose ester or a protective ester is used as a protective colloid. It has been shown to use cellulose ethers.

JP-A-4-120111 and JP-A-4-120112 disclose that a water-soluble monomer is polymerized with a polysaccharide (starch, cellulose) and / or a crosslinking agent. Examples using polysaccharides, including Example 11 (both publications) relating to reverse phase suspension polymerization, are not mentioned.

The highly water-absorbent resin is required to have high swelling gel strength, high water absorption capacity, and a small amount of wet bag. Here, the wet back is a property in which urine that has already been absorbed leaks when a load is applied. From this point of view, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-195705, filed by the applicant of the present application, discloses that when the “surface cross-linking” of a super absorbent polymer is performed with a cross-linking agent, the water content of the resin is 10 to 30.
A method for improving the strength, water absorption capacity, and wet-back property by starting the crosslinking reaction after adjusting the content to wt% and continuing the crosslinking reaction by adding water when the reaction has progressed to a certain extent is shown. .

[0016]

In the production of superabsorbent resin, if a large amount of fine particles are produced or the particle size distribution is wide, the yield of the target particle size is reduced, and the productivity is lowered. Especially when a large amount of fine particles are generated, it is difficult to smoothly perform various processes such as decantation, filtration, and drying.
Dust is also generated during handling, which is a significant disadvantage in terms of workability.

Also in terms of the performance of the super absorbent polymer, the dispersion of the powder performance becomes large when the particle size distribution is wide. In addition, when the particle size is small, the Mamako phenomenon occurs when it comes into contact with water or body fluid, and when it is used in combination with a material with coarse mesh such as non-woven fabric, the particles may leak from the eyes of the material. It will cause troubles during use.

Therefore, it is strongly desired that generation of fine particles is suppressed during reverse phase suspension polymerization, particles having an appropriate average particle size of about 200 to 350 μm are obtained, and that the particle size distribution at that time is sharp. .

However, although the method disclosed in JP-A-2-153907 has succeeded in increasing the average particle size, it has a relatively wide particle size distribution and a considerable amount of fine particles, so that the target particle size is obtained. However, there is a problem in that the acquisition rate of the product decreases, and processes such as filtration and drying cannot be performed smoothly. The particles obtained in Comparative Example 6 according to an example in which hydroxyethyl cellulose coexisted with sorbitan monostearate and sucrose fatty acid ester had an average particle size of 490 μm, which was too large, and had a tendency to aggregate. There are various problems such as low speed and low water retention capacity.

The method disclosed in JP-A-2-196802 is
Particles with a particle size of about 150 to 550 μm can be obtained, but the allowable range of manufacturing conditions is narrow, and there is a tendency for them to agglomerate due to slight differences in the conditions such as the shape of the stirring blade and reaction vessel, stirring conditions, and the amount dropped. There is a problem that it is difficult to adopt industrially. In addition, in the method of this publication, there is a disadvantage that scaling easily occurs on the wall of the polymerization reactor and the stirring blades, and one of the causes is considered to be the thickener added for viscosity adjustment. .

The method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-195713 is
Although particles of 202 to 355 μm are obtained in the examples, since the particle size distribution is wide, fine particles are also generated in a considerable proportion, and the obtained particles are actually aggregates of small particles and are not classified as primary particles. The particle size itself is small, for example, when it is applied to a disposable diaper, it has a fine particle size of 1 when absorbing urine.
There is a problem that the particles return to the next particles and leak out from the eyes of materials such as nonwoven fabric.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 60-36534 does not describe the particle size of the superabsorbent resin obtained, and it is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 4-1.
Although there is no description in JP-A No. 20111 and JP-A No. 4-120112 about the particle size of the super absorbent polymer obtained by reverse phase suspension polymerization, the particle size is appropriately large and the particle size distribution is sharp in each case. Things are hard to come by. In JP-A-56-76419, the particle size is 10 to 300.
A highly water-absorbent resin of about μm is obtained, and there is a problem that the proportion of fine particles is too large. In JP-A-60-186506, since an oil-soluble cellulose ester or cellulose ether is used and dissolved in the hydrocarbon side, there is a risk of agglomeration due to a slight difference in conditions. Although particles having a median particle diameter of about 100 to 350 μm are obtained, there is a problem that a large proportion of particles having a small particle diameter is large. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-118308, a super absorbent polymer is obtained in small pieces, which are then cut and further pulverized.

Further, in order to improve the strength, water absorption ability and wet back property, when "surface cross-linking" the super absorbent resin with a cross-linking agent, the cross-linking reaction is carried out after the water content of the resin is set to 10 to 30% by weight. The method disclosed in JP-A-3-195705, which starts and continues the crosslinking reaction by adding water when the reaction has progressed to a certain degree, also produces fine particles during the production of the original superabsorbent resin. However, since the average particle size is small and the particle size distribution is wide, there is a limit that a certain degree of effect can be obtained even if the post-crosslinking is performed as described above.

The present invention has the following background.
During reverse phase suspension polymerization of an aqueous solution of a water-soluble unsaturated monomer containing (meth) acrylic acid and a water-soluble salt of (meth) acrylic acid as main components, a specific polysaccharide is allowed to coexist, together with a specific polysaccharide. By surface-crosslinking the resin after polymerization under specific conditions, scaling to the reactor and stirring blade does not occur during polymerization, the generation of fine particles is suppressed, and a moderate average particle size and sharp particle size distribution that are easy to handle are provided. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for obtaining a highly water-absorbent resin having a swollen gel having a high strength, a high water absorption capacity, and a small amount of wet back.

[0025]

The method for producing a superabsorbent resin of the present invention comprises the steps of adding (meth) acrylic acid and a water-soluble salt of (meth) acrylic acid in the presence of β-1,3-glucans. Obtaining a highly water-absorbent resin by reverse-phase suspension polymerization of an aqueous solution of a water-soluble unsaturated monomer as a main component in a hydrocarbon solvent using a radical polymerization initiator in the presence or absence of a crosslinking agent, And, the water content of the super absorbent polymer is 0 to 3
After adjusting to 0% by weight, a crosslinking reaction of the resin surface is started by bringing the resin into contact with a surface crosslinking agent, and 20 to 85% by weight of the total amount of the surface crosslinking agent reacts with the resin.
Water is further added to the system in an amount of 5 to 20% by weight based on the superabsorbent resin particles, and the crosslinking reaction is continued.

The present invention will be described in detail below.

In the present invention, a water-soluble unsaturated monomer containing (meth) acrylic acid and a water-soluble salt of (meth) acrylic acid as main components is used as the monomer. This monomer can be obtained by partially neutralizing (meth) acrylic acid with an alkali metal hydroxide such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate, ammonium hydroxide or amines.

The mixing ratio of (meth) acrylic acid and the water-soluble salt of (meth) acrylic acid is 30:70 to 10: 9 by weight.
It is preferably 0. That is, the degree of partial neutralization of (meth) acrylic acid is 70 to 90 of the total (meth) acrylic acid.
Preferably it is mol%. When the degree of partial neutralization is too small, the water absorption capacity and water absorption rate of the resulting superabsorbent resin decreases, and product particles have a difficulty in exhibiting acidity, while when the degree of partial neutralization is too large, After all, the water absorption capacity and the water absorption speed are lowered, and it is difficult for the product particles to be alkaline.

The cross-linking agent may or may not be present, but it is desirable to use a small amount of cross-linking agent. Examples of the crosslinking agent when the crosslinking agent is used include ethylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, diethylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, triethylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, polyethylene glycol di (meth).
Acrylate, trimethylolpropane tri (meth) acrylate, pentaerythritol di (meth) acrylate, pentaerythritol tri (meth) acrylate, N, N'-methylenebis (meth) acrylamide,
Examples thereof include triallyl isocyanurate, (poly) ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, glycerin polyglycidyl ether, sorbitol polyglycidyl ether and pentaerythritol polyglycidyl ether. The amount of the cross-linking agent used is 0.0001 to the monomer component.
It is often about 0.5% by weight.

Examples of the radical polymerization initiator include azobisisobutyronitrile, t-butyl peroxide, cumene hydroperoxide, di-t-butyl peroxide, acetyl peroxide, lauroyl peroxide, stearoyl peroxide and benzoyl peroxide. Examples include oxide, t-butylperoxyacetate, t-butylperoxyisobutyrate, t-butylperoxypivalate, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, cyclohexanone peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, ammonium persulfate, potassium persulfate, and cerium salt. Those that are water-soluble are particularly preferable. The amount of the radical polymerization initiator used is often about 0.01 to 1% by weight with respect to the monomer component.

As the hydrocarbon solvent, cyclohexane,
Alicyclic hydrocarbons such as cyclopentane and methylcyclohexane, n-pentane, n-hexane, n-heptane, n
Examples thereof include aliphatic hydrocarbons such as oritan and ligroin, aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene, and halogenated hydrocarbons such as chlorobenzene and carbon tetrachloride. Among these, n-hexane and cyclohexane are particularly important in consideration of the boiling point, melting point, cost, and industrial availability of the solvent.

As described above, an aqueous solution of a water-soluble unsaturated monomer containing (meth) acrylic acid and a water-soluble salt of (meth) acrylic acid as a main component is added to a radical polymerization initiator in the presence or absence of a crosslinking agent. Is used for reverse phase suspension polymerization in a hydrocarbon solvent. At this time, it is suitable to set the polymerization temperature to 50 to 90 ° C. and the polymerization time to about 0.5 to 5 hours.

In the present invention, the reverse phase suspension polymerization is carried out in the presence of β-1,3-glucans. This is the first point of the present invention.

Β-1,3-glucans are β-1,3
-Refers to a polysaccharide having a backbone consisting of glucosidic bonds,
Particularly, a branched β-1,3-glucan having a glucose branch having β-1,6-bonded to such a main chain glucose is desirable, and further, one of the β-1,6-bonded glucose is preferable. Those having a sulfur-containing substituent in the part are particularly desirable. Here, as the sulfur-containing substituent, a sulfoacetic acid group is particularly important, and in addition, a sulfonic acid group, a polysulfonic acid group, a cysteine group, a methionine group and the like can be mentioned.

Such β-1,3-glucans are typically prepared from a microorganism belonging to the genus Aureobasidium,
Sucrose, glucose, fructose, etc. are used as a carbon source, sodium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, yeast extract, peptone, etc. are used as a nitrogen source, and magnesium sulfate, an inorganic sulfur source such as iron sulfate is used as a trace factor, and further required. Depending on the use, a medium to which metal ions such as magnesium ions and iron ions and vitamins such as ascorbic acid and pantothenic acid are added is used at 1 to 60 ° C. (preferably 25 to 35 ° C.).
A culture solution is obtained by culturing under aeration conditions for about 10 days, cells are separated from the culture solution by means such as centrifugation and filtration, and a solvent and metal ions are added to the resulting clean solution to cause precipitation. It is then obtained by drying and crushing.

A typical β-1,3-glucan obtained by this method is a branched β-1,3-glucan having a sulfoacetic acid group as a substituent, as shown in the following chemical formula 1. In addition, there are 3 branches of β-1,6-bonded glucose per 4 glucose in the main chain, and 0.1 to 1 of the sulfoacetic acid group-containing substituents are present in the glucose branch.
% By weight.

[0037]

Embedded image

The coexisting amount of β-1,3-glucans in the reverse phase suspension polymerization is 0.001 to 5 with respect to the water-soluble unsaturated monomer.
% By weight, preferably 0.002 to 2% by weight, especially 0.0
It is set to 05-1% by weight. When the amount is too small, it is not possible to sufficiently achieve the intended purpose of suppressing the generation of fine particles, obtaining particles having an appropriate average particle diameter, and sharpening the particle size distribution, while the amount is too small. When the amount is large, β-1,3-glucans are not uniformly dispersed or dissolved in the solution, so that the particle size distribution may be broadened.

In addition to β-1,3-glucans, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, dextrin, sodium alginate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide, polyethylene glycol and The use of other water-soluble polymers such as polyethyleneimine does not cause any problems.

In the reverse phase suspension polymerization, it is usual to coexist with an oil-soluble surfactant having an HLB of 10 or less (preferably 9 or less). Typical examples of such oil-soluble surfactants include sorbitan fatty acid ester (sorbitan monopalmitate, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan sesquistearate, sorbitan tristearate, etc.), sucrose fatty acid ester (sucrose and stearin). Acid, palmitic acid, lauric acid, mono-, di- or triester with fatty acid such as oleic acid) and the like. This oil-soluble surfactant is dissolved on the hydrocarbon solvent side. The coexisting amount of the oil-soluble surfactant is 5% by weight or less with respect to the water-soluble unsaturated monomer, usually 0.05 to 3% by weight,
Especially, it is often set to 0.1 to 2% by weight. The use of oil-soluble surfactants is advantageous in preventing particle size reduction or agglomeration.

In the inverse layer suspension polymerization, a hydrocarbon solvent is charged with an aqueous solution of a water-soluble unsaturated monomer containing β-1,3-glucans and a radical polymerization initiator. And the ratio by weight is 1
It is often 0: 1 to 1: 1 and preferably 5: 1 to 2: 1.

The method of charging the aqueous solution at this time may be batch charging, intermittent charging, or continuous charging. However, intermittent charging or continuous charging is performed, and during such charging, a part of the water is hydrocarbon. Azeotropic removal with the solvent to the outside of the system is particularly preferable because the heat of polymerization is uniformly generated and the polymerization reaction can be kept stable.

After completion of the polymerization, decantation, filtration,
The produced particles are separated by centrifugation or the like, and then washed and dried. Thereby, generation of fine particles is suppressed, and a highly water-absorbent resin having an appropriate particle size (about 200 to 350 μm) and a sharp particle size distribution can be obtained. Moreover, β-1,
In the present invention in which 3-glucans are allowed to coexist, it is difficult for scaling to occur in the reactor and the stirring blade during polymerization.

In the present invention, the water content of the superabsorbent resin is adjusted to 10 to 30% by weight, and then the resin is brought into contact with a surface cross-linking agent to initiate a cross-linking reaction on the surface of the resin to effect surface cross-linking. 20-85% by weight of the total amount of the agent
When (especially 25 to 80% by weight) has reacted with the resin, water is further added to the system in an amount of 5 to 20% by weight based on the superabsorbent resin, and the crosslinking reaction is continued. This is the second point of the present invention. Here, the water content is expressed on a wet resin basis, and is a value obtained by dividing the weight difference before and after drying the water-containing polymer in an oven at 105 ° C. for 3 hours by the weight before drying and multiplying by 100. .

Here, as the surface cross-linking agent, 3,4-epoxycyclohexanecarboxylic acid-3 ', 4'-epoxycyclohexyl ester, ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, glycerin diglycidyl ether, glycerin triglycidyl ester. Ether, 1,6-hexanediol diglycidyl ether, neopentyl glycol diglycidyl ether, trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether and the like are used. The amount of the surface cross-linking agent used is preferably 0.0005 to 3% by weight, particularly 0.001 to 1% by weight, based on the resin. If the amount is too small, the effect of improving the gel strength and the like will be insufficient and the amount will be too small. If it is too much, the water absorption performance will decrease.

The surface cross-linking agent is usually mixed with the resin in the form of a solution dissolved in a solvent such as benzene, toluene, xylene, cyclohexane, hexane, and water, and used for the cross-linking reaction. The reaction temperature is about 40 to 90 ° C., and the reaction time is often about 30 to 180 minutes.

In the reaction with the surface cross-linking agent, the water content of the resin is adjusted to 10 to 30% by weight as described above. If the water content is less than 10% by weight, the initial surface cross-linking reaction rate becomes low, while 30 If it exceeds 5% by weight, crosslinking will proceed to the inside of the polymer, and the effect of surface crosslinking will be weakened, and uneven crosslinking density and agglomeration of particles will easily occur.

Further, as described above, when 20 to 85% by weight of the total amount of the surface crosslinking agent has reacted with the resin, 5 to 20% by weight of water is further added to the system to continue the crosslinking reaction. . In this case, the water is added all at once or dividedly. When the time of addition of water deviates from the above time, the desired improvement effect cannot be sufficiently obtained in terms of swelling gel strength, water absorption capacity and wet back property. Further, if the amount of water added is less than 5% by weight, the effect of improvement due to crosslinking is insufficient, and if it exceeds 20% by weight, the resin particles tend to aggregate.

To add water when 20 to 85% by weight of the total amount of the surface cross-linking agent has reacted with the resin, the surface cross-linking agent is charged all at once and the residual surface cross-linking agent is added while observing the progress of the cross-linking reaction. The addition timing of water may be determined based on the amount, and after adding 20 to 80% by weight of the planned charging amount in advance to cause substantially all the reaction, water is added and the remaining amount of the crosslinking agent is added. You may make it add and advance a reaction.

The superabsorbent resin obtained by the method of the present invention is particularly useful as a body fluid absorbent for absorbing body fluids and excretions and preventing leakage in sanitary products and sanitary products. In addition, soil water retention agent, seed coating agent, water blocking agent, thickening agent, dew condensation preventive agent, dehydrating agent, desiccant, humidity control agent, coagulant for sludge and liquid waste, heavy metal adsorbent, drug, aromatic agent It can also be used for applications such as sustained-release preparations and poultices.

[0051]

In the present invention, the reverse phase suspension polymerization of an aqueous solution of a water-soluble unsaturated monomer is devised so as to be carried out in the coexistence of β-1,3-glucans (or an oil-soluble surfactant thereof). In addition, it is difficult to cause scaling in a reactor or a stirring blade during polymerization, generation of fine particles is suppressed, and a highly water-absorbent resin having a moderate average particle size (about 200 to 350 μm) and a sharp particle size distribution that is easy to handle is obtained. In the case of a high-viscosity (meth) acrylic acid partially neutralized salt system,
One of the reasons is that high viscosity is maintained in the system where β-1,3-glucans are present, while the thickening effect is diminished by ordinary water-soluble polymers. I think that the.

Further, after the superabsorbent resin was obtained as described above, a special measure was taken for the "surface cross-linking" thereof, so that the swelling gel was combined with the preferable particle size and particle size distribution of the original superabsorbent resin. It is possible to obtain a highly water-absorbent resin having a high strength, a high water absorption capacity, and a small amount of wet back.

[0053]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be further described with reference to examples. Hereinafter, "%" means% by weight.

Example 1 <Production of β-1,3-glucans> Aureobasidium sp. K-1 which is a microorganism belonging to the genus Aureobasidium
(FERM P-12989) was added to Czapek medium (sucrose 3
%, Sodium nitrate 0.2%, potassium phosphate 0.1%, potassium chloride 0.05%, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate 0.05
%, Ferrous sulfate heptahydrate (0.001%) at 27 ° C for 48 hours with shaking, as the inoculum, under the conditions of a temperature of 27 ° C with a jar fermenter, a stirring rate of 300 rpm, and an aeration rate of 50 liters / min. It was cultured for 96 hours.

Then, bacterial cells were separated and removed from the culture-completed solution by filtration, and 1.2 volumes of isopropanol was gradually added to the obtained filtrate with vigorous stirring. The precipitated polysaccharide fibers were collected, immersed in an acetone bath, washed, dehydrated, and dried at 70 ° C. Such fibers were pulverized with a feather shoe to be powdered to obtain a polysaccharide.

Analysis of this polysaccharide by a conventional method (Science and Industry, 64 (3), 131-135 (1990), Agricultura
l & Biological Chemistry, 47 (6), 1167-1172 (1983)
This is a polysaccharide having the structure of the above-mentioned chemical formula 1, that is, a branched β having a sulfoacetic acid group as a substituent.
It was confirmed to be -1,3-glucan. The total number of glucose units in one molecule was about 1500, and the total sulfur content was 0.05%.

<Reverse Phase Suspension Polymerization> Next, a polyacrylic acid partially neutralized salt superabsorbent resin was produced by the reverse phase suspension polymerization method described in detail below.

In a 2 liter separable flask A equipped with a stirrer, a reflux condenser and a nitrogen gas introduction tube, 800 g of cyclohexane and 0.8 g of sorbitan monostearate.
And 0.8 g of sucrose fatty acid ester ("DK Ester F-70" manufactured by Dai-ichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd.) was charged and nitrogen bubbling was performed for 30 minutes to expel the dissolved air and the air in the flask.

260 g of an 80% aqueous solution of acrylic acid was charged into another separable flask B, and 310 g of a 28% aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide was gradually added dropwise under cooling to neutralize. Then, 8 g of 0.5% N, N'-methylenebisacrylamide aqueous solution and 0.3 g of the branched β-1,3-glucan having the sulfoacetic acid group as a substituent as obtained above (approximately 0.1% with respect to the monomer) were added. , Melted. After the dissolution, 4 g of a 10% ammonium persulfate aqueous solution was added, and nitrogen bubbling was performed while stirring to expel the dissolved air.

After the flask A was heated to 73 ° C., the number of revolutions was set to 350 rpm, the solution in the flask B was dropped for 3 hours, and the warm water in the jacket was kept at 75 ° C. at the same time when the dropping was started. Azeotropically cyclohexane and water,
Expelled 230 ml of water. After that, azeotropic dehydration was continued, and when the water content of the resin reached 25%, the resin was cooled and then filtered with a suction filter. Temperature of generated particles 1
It was dried at 05 ° C for 3 hours to obtain a highly water-absorbent resin. Almost no scaling was observed on the flask wall and the stirring blade used for the polymerization.

The average particle size of this particle is 308 μm, 105
The proportion of fine particles below μm is 3.5%, and the water absorption capacity is 8 for pure water.
90 g / g, 0.9% saline was 72 g / g.

<Surface Crosslinking> 200 g of a water-containing polymer obtained by adjusting the water content of the highly water-absorbent resin obtained above to 22.5% was charged into a kneader, and 0.155 g of polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether as an example of the surface cross-linking agent (0.1 to resin)
%) In 5 g of water was added.

In this state, the kneader jacket temperature is set to 7
Kneading was performed at 0 ° C, and after 40 minutes, it was confirmed that the residual ratio of the surface cross-linking agent was 55%, and then 7% of water was added and kneading. After confirming that the residual ratio of the cross-linking agent was 30%, 5.5% of water was added and kneaded, and the kneading was continued for another hour to react the remaining surface cross-linking agent.

After completion of the reaction, the product was dried at 70 ° C. for 1 hour under normal pressure and then dried at 90 ° C. for 1.5 hours in a vacuum dryer to obtain a surface-crosslinked highly water-absorbent resin. The average particle size of the obtained resin was 315 μm, the ratio of fine particles of 105 μm or less was 3.2%, the water absorption capacity was 880 g / g of pure water, 71 g / g of 0.9% saline solution, and the swelling gel strength was 6.0 × 10 ⁴ dyne. / c
The m ² and wet back value were 1.6 g.

<Characteristic Evaluation Method of Superabsorbent Resin> In the above and below, the superabsorbent resin was evaluated in the following manner.

The average particle size was determined based on the mesh size at which 50% of the sieving was carried out using a standard sieve.

The water absorption rate was measured according to the vortex method using 50 g of 0.9% saline.

Water Absorption Capacity of Pure Water and 0.9% Saline 0.2 g of the above particles was placed in a 100 ml beaker containing pure water or 0.9% saline, and allowed to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. It was determined by measuring the weight of the swollen gel after draining with water for 20 minutes.

Swelling gel strength In a beaker with a capacity of 100 ml, 1 g of superabsorbent resin and 25 g of 0.9% saline solution were mixed, stirred gently, and allowed to stand for 25
A swollen gel swollen twice is obtained, and this swollen gel is allowed to stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.
After standing for a period of time, the swelling gel strength was measured with a neo card meter (“N-302 type” manufactured by Iio Denki Co., Ltd.).

Wet-back value Cotton-like pulp processed into a sheet (120 mm x 280 mm x
(5 mm) the central portion (100 mm x 240 mm) with 5 g of superabsorbent resin evenly distributed, and then a cotton-like pulp sheet of the same shape as the above-mentioned cotton-like pulp is adhered from the top to make a test diaper. About 75 g of artificial urine is injected through the dropping funnel into the center of the upper surface of the
Inject 5 g of artificial urine and after 20 minutes, 100 mm x 10
Approximately 60 g of filter paper of 0 mm size and 3.5 kg of weight were placed in this order and left for 3 minutes. After that, the weight and the filter paper were sequentially removed, the weight of the filter paper was measured, and the amount of increase in the weight of the filter paper was determined and used as the return amount of urine (wetback value).

Example 2 Except that the addition amount of branched β-1,3-glucan having a sulfoacetic acid group as a substituent was 1/10 of that in Example 1, 0.03 g (approximately 0.01% based on the monomer). Example 1 was repeated. Almost no scaling was observed on the flask wall and the stirring blade. The average particle size of the resulting super absorbent polymer particles is 225 μm, and the ratio of fine particles of 105 μm or less is
The water absorption capacity was 7.8%, pure water was 910 g / g, and 0.9% saline was 73 g / g.

Using this resin, a “surface cross-linking” reaction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. The average particle size of the obtained resin was 240 μm, and the ratio of fine particles of 105 μm or less was 7.0%.
Water absorption capacity is 900g / g for pure water and 71g / g for 0.9% saline.
The strength of the swollen gel was 5.3 × 10 ⁴ dyne / cm ² , and the wet back value was 2.7 g.

Example 3 200 g of a water-containing polymer obtained by adjusting the water content of the highly water-absorbent resin obtained in Example 1 to 22.5% was charged into a kneader, and 3,4-epoxycyclohexanecarboxylic acid-3 ', as an example of a surface crosslinking agent, An aqueous solution was prepared by dissolving 4'-epoxycyclohexyl ester in 5 g of cyclohexane so as to be 0.03% with respect to the resin.

In this state, the kneader jacket temperature is set to 7
After kneading at 40 ° C for 40 minutes, after confirming that the residual ratio of the surface cross-linking agent became 70%, add 7% of water and knead. After confirming that the residual ratio of the cross-linking agent was 27%, 5.5% of water was added and kneaded, and the kneading was continued for 1 hour to react the remaining surface cross-linking agent.

After completion of the reaction, it was dried at 70 ° C. for 1 hour under normal pressure, and then dried at 90 ° C. for 1.5 hours in a vacuum drier to obtain a surface-crosslinked highly water-absorbent resin. The average particle size of the obtained resin is 310 μm, the ratio of fine particles of 105 μm or less is 3.4%, the water absorption capacity is 870 g / g of pure water, 71 g / g of 0.9% saline solution, and the swelling gel strength is 8.8 × 10 ⁴ dyne. / c
The m ² and wet back value were 0.7 g.

Comparative Example 1 Reversed phase suspension polymerization was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the addition amount of branched β-1,3-glucan having a sulfoacetic acid group as a substituent was omitted. The average particle size of the resulting super absorbent polymer was 173 μm, and the ratio of fine particles of 105 μm or less was 17.7%.
Water absorption capacity is 920g / g for pure water and 73g / g for 0.9% saline.
Met.

Using this resin, a "surface crosslinking" reaction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. The average particle size of the obtained resin is 175 μm, the ratio of fine particles of 105 μm or less is 17.1%,
Water absorption capacity is 880g / g for pure water and 71g / g for 0.9% saline.
The strength of the swollen gel was 4.7 × 10 ⁴ dyne / cm ² , and the wet back value was 3.2 g.

Comparative Example 2 Example 1 was repeated except that 0.3 g of hydroxyethyl cellulose was added instead of the branched β-1,3-glucan having a sulfoacetic acid group as a substituent. At this time, some scaling was observed on the flask wall and the stirring blade. The average particle diameter of the superabsorbent resin particles obtained was 184 μm, 10
The proportion of fine particles of 5 μm or less was 16.3%, and the water absorption capacity was 920 g / g in pure water and 73 g / g in 0.9% saline.

Using this resin, the "surface cross-linking" reaction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. The average particle size of the obtained resin is 187 μm, the ratio of fine particles of 105 μm or less is 16.0%,
Water absorption capacity is 900g / g for pure water and 71g / g for 0.9% saline.
The strength of the swollen gel was 5.0 × 10 ⁴ dyne / cm ² , and the wet back value was 3.0 g.

Comparative Example 3 By repeating the procedure of Comparative Example 2 except that the amount of hydroxyethyl cellulose added was changed to 1.5 g, superabsorbent resin particles having substantially the same properties as those of Comparative Example 2 were obtained. And the scaling to the stirring blade was significant.

Comparative Example 4 Example 1 was repeated except that 0.3 g of sodium polyacrylate was added in place of the branched β-1,3-glucan having a sulfoacetic acid group as a substituent. The average particle size of the resulting super absorbent resin particles was 179 μm, the ratio of fine particles of 105 μm or less was 17.3%, and the water absorption capacity was 930 g / g of pure water and 0.9%.
The salt solution was 73 g / g.

Using this resin, the "surface cross-linking" reaction was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1. The obtained resin has an average particle size of 182 μm, the proportion of fine particles of 105 μm or less is 16.9%,
Water absorption capacity is 920g / g for pure water and 72g / g for 0.9% saline solution.
The strength of the swollen gel was 5.1 × 10 ⁴ dyne / cm ² , and the wet back value was 3.2 g.

[0083]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY In the present invention, reverse phase suspension polymerization of an aqueous solution of a water-soluble unsaturated monomer is carried out in the presence of β-1,3-glucans (or an oil-soluble surfactant thereof). As a result of the devise, the reactor and the stirring blade are less likely to be scaled during polymerization, the generation of fine particles is suppressed, and a super absorbent polymer with a moderate average particle size (about 200 to 350 μm) and a sharp flow distribution that is easy to handle is stable. Can be manufactured.

Further, after the superabsorbent resin was obtained as described above, a special measure was taken for the "surface cross-linking" thereof, so that the swelling gel was combined with the preferable particle size and particle size distribution of the original superabsorbent resin. It is possible to obtain a highly water-absorbent resin having a high strength, a high water absorption capacity, and a small amount of wet back.

Therefore, the yield of the target particle size is increased and the productivity is improved, and various processes such as decantation, filtration, and drying can be smoothly performed, and the generation of dust during handling is small, and the work can be performed. The property becomes good. Further, the obtained particles do not cause a mamako phenomenon when they come into contact with water or body fluid, and do not cause troubles such as leakage even when they are used in combination with a rough material such as a nonwoven fabric. Further, even if a load is applied to the absorbed urine, there is no possibility that the once absorbed urine will leak out.

Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location C08F 220/06 MLP 8619-4J C08J 3/24 CEY Z

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. In the presence of β-1,3-glucans, an aqueous solution of a water-soluble unsaturated monomer containing (meth) acrylic acid and a water-soluble salt of (meth) acrylic acid as main components is used as a crosslinking agent. To obtain a highly water-absorbent resin by reverse phase suspension polymerization in a hydrocarbon solvent using a radical polymerization initiator in the presence or absence of a radical polymerization initiator, and the water content of the highly water-absorbent resin is 10 to 30% by weight. Then, the crosslinking reaction of the resin surface is started by bringing the resin into contact with a surface crosslinking agent, and
A method for producing a superabsorbent resin, characterized in that, when 85 wt% has reacted with the resin, water is further added to the system in an amount of 5 to 20 wt% based on the superabsorbent resin particles, and the crosslinking reaction is continued. . 2. β-1,3-glucans are β-1,3-glucans.
Β-1,6 is added to the main chain glucose composed of glucoside bonds.
2. The method according to claim 1, which is a branched β-1,3-glucan having a branch of bound glucose, wherein the β-1,6-linked glucose has a sulfur-containing substituent in part thereof. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the sulfur-containing substituent is a sulfoacetic acid group. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the coexisting amount of β-1,3-glucans is 0.001 to 5% by weight based on the water-soluble unsaturated monomer. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reverse phase suspension polymerization is carried out in the coexistence of 5% by weight or less of an oil-soluble surfactant having an HLB of 10 or less with respect to the water-soluble unsaturated monomer. .