# US 10,767,029 B2 · Agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles comprising clay platelets with edge modification and/or surface modification

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- Number: US 10,767,029 B2
- Document ID: US10767029B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/954,641
- Filed: 2018-04-17
- Published: 2018-10-25
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-04-19
- Assignees: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Applicants: The Procter & Gamble Company
- Inventors: Juliane Kamphus; Arsen Simonyan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767029B2

## CPC

- C08K 3/346: {Clay}
- A61L 15/18: containing inorganic materials
- A61L 15/24: Macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Derivatives thereof {(A61L15/225 takes precedence)}
- A61L 15/60: Liquid-swellable gel-forming materials, e.g. super-absorbents
- B01J 20/12: Naturally occurring clays or bleaching earth
- B01J 20/26: Synthetic macromolecular compounds
- B01J 20/264: {derived from different types of monomers, e.g. linear or branched copolymers, block copolymers, graft copolymers}
- B01J 20/267: {Cross-linked polymers}
- B01J 20/2803: {Sorbents comprising a binder, e.g. for forming aggregated, agglomerated or granulated products}
- B01J 20/3028: {Granulating, agglomerating or aggregating}
- C08J 3/12: Powdering or granulating
- C08J 3/203: {Solid polymers with solid and/or liquid additives}
- C08K 7/00: Use of ingredients characterised by shape
- C08J 2333/02: Homopolymers or copolymers of acids; Metal or ammonium salts thereof
- C08K 2201/005: Additives being defined by their particle size in general
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)

## Abstract

Agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles are provided and obtained by a method including the steps of: (a) providing precursor superabsorbent polymer particles having a first mass average particle size 1mAvPS, (b) mixing the precursor superabsorbent polymer particles with a solution, and (c) polymerizing the mixed solution if the solution includes polymerizable monomers and/or oligomers or crosslinking the mixed solution if the solution includes crosslinkable polymers. The solution includes (i) homogeneously dispersed therein, clay platelets with opposing basal platelet surfaces and platelet edges; (ii) one or more surface modification compound(s) and/or edge modification compound(s); and (iii) polymerizable monomers and/or oligomers, or (iv) crosslinkable polymers. The agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles have a second mass average particle size 2mAvPS which is at least 25% greater than the first mass average particle size 1mAvPS.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles obtained by a method comprising the steps of:
a) providing precursor superabsorbent polymer particles having a first mass average particle size 1mAvPS, and
b) mixing the precursor superabsorbent polymer particles with a solution comprising
i) homogeneously dispersed therein, clay platelets with opposing basal platelet surfaces and platelet edges;
ii) one or more clay surface modification compound(s) and/or clay edge modification compound(s); and,
iii) polymerizable monomers and/or oligomers, or
iv) crosslinkable polymers,
c) polymerizing the mixed solution if the solution comprises polymerizable monomers and/or oligomers or crosslinking the mixed solution if the solution comprises crosslinkable polymers,
wherein the clay platelets from step (b) are hydrophilic and are linked to said superabsorbent polymer particles to provide agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles having a second mass average particle size 2mAvPS which is at least 25% greater than the first mass average particle size 1mAvPS;
wherein the agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles have an average swelling rate to reach 20 g/g of more than 1.00 g/g/s according to the Free Swell Rate (FSR) test method, when the agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles have a size below 850 μm; and
have a Centrifuge Retention Capacity (CRC) value of from 18 g/g to 40 g/g as measured according to the CRC test method.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the polymerizable monomers and/or oligomers comprise polymerizable monomers and/or oligomers of acrylic acids or their salts or acrylates or derivatives thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the solution comprise a first type of crosslinkers comprising acrylate or acrylamide groups.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the solution comprises a second type of crosslinkers being amide acetals, carbamic esters, polyhydric alcohols like dials or polyols, cyclic carbonates, bisoxazolines, epoxides or glycidyl ether.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein step c) is followed by:
d) drying the agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles,
wherein the second mass average particle size 2mAvPS is determined after step d).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein step c) is followed by:
d) drying the agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles,
e) classifying the agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles to obtain a lower particle size limit,
wherein the second mass average particle size 2mAvPS is determined after step e).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the precursor superabsorbent polymer particles are subjected to surface cross-linking prior to or simultaneously with step b).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the clay platelets are selected from the group consisting of kaolinite, illite, smectite or montmorillonite, or mixtures thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the edge modification compound(s) consist(s) of one or more phosphorylation compounds, silanization compounds or fluorination compounds or combination thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the surface modification compound(s) comprise(s) an alkylated nitrogen moiety, or alkoxylated nitrogen moiety.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles are surface crosslinked.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

An absorbent article comprising the agglomerated superabsorbent polymer particles according to claim 1.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The absorbent article according to claim 12 comprising an absorbent core, wherein the absorbent core comprises one or more area(s) which is/are substantially free of absorbent material.