Abstract:
The invention relates to a device for producing poly(meth)acrylate in powder form, said device comprising: a reactor (1) for droplet polymerization having a device for dropletizing (5) a monomer solution for the production of the poly(meth)acrylate which has holes through which the solution is introduced; a feed point (13) for a gas above the device for dropletizing (5); at least one gas discharge point (19) at the periphery of the reactor (1); and a fluidized bed (11), wherein the reactor (1) comprises a reactor shell (35) between the device for dropletizing (5) and the gas discharge point (19) and has, above the fluidized bed (11), a region (9) having a hydraulic diameter which decreases in the direction of the fluidized bed, the maximum hydraulic diameter thereof being larger than the average hydraulic diameter of the reactor shell (35), and wherein the reactor shell (35) projects into the region (9) having a decreasing hydraulic diameter so that an annular channel (21) is formed between the outer wall of the reactor shell (35) and the wall that limits the region (9) having a decreasing hydraulic diameter and the at least one gas discharge point (19) is situated on the annular channel (21), the ratio of the horizontal surface (39) of the annular channel (21) to the horizontal surface (41) which is enclosed by the reactor shell (35) being in the range of 0.3 to 5.
Abstract:
A process for classifying water-absorbing polymer particles, wherein screens having different mesh sizes are used before and after surface postcrosslinking to remove the undersize (fines).
Abstract:
The invention relates to a process for producing water-absorbing polymer particles, comprising thermal postcrosslinking in a contact dryer having external heated outer surfaces.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for producing a water-absorbing resin by polymerization of a reaction mixture comprising at least one hydrophilic monomer and optionally at least one cross-linker, in a reactor. According to said method, at least one first fraction of a particulate additive is admixed to the reaction mixture before the reaction mixture reaches a dwell time of 40 % of the total dwell time in the reactor, and at least one second fraction of a particulate additive is admixed when the reaction mixture reaches a dwell time of 45 % or more of the total dwell time in the reactor. The additive is selected from the group of water-adsorbing resin powders, fillers and mixtures thereof, the total solids content of the monomer and the additive being 30 to 60 % by weight, the amount of the additive being 5 to 50 % by weight, based on the monomer, and the weight ratio of the first fraction to the second fraction of the additive being 10:1 to 1:5. The resin powder is constituted of, e.g., recycled fines. Bot the residual monomer content, especially the residual cross-linker content, and the content in extractable substances of the water-absorbing resin are reduced by the described manner of admixture. A high percentage of additives can be incorporated without deteriorating the properties of the water-absorbing resin so obtained. The additives form a sufficiently strong compound with the resin without excessive dust formation when the resin is exposed to mechanical stress.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a process for producing water-absorbing polymer particles, comprising polymerization and drying the resulting polymer gel on a through-circulation belt dryer having at the end of the belt in transport direction a means for guiding the dried polymer gel down towards a means for crushing the dried polymer gel.