Method of converting ethylene to polyacrylic acid (PAA) and superabsorbent polymer (SAP) within an integrated system

A method comprising:

• providing an ethylene stream comprising ethylene to an oxidative reactor of an integrated system;
• converting at least a portion of the ethylene in the ethylene stream to ethylene oxide (EO) to produce an EO stream comprising the EO;
• contacting the EO stream and a carbon monoxide (CO) stream with a carbonylation catalyst;
• converting at least a portion of the EO in the EO stream to beta propiolactone (BPL) or polypropiolactone (PPL), or a combination thereof to produce a carbonylation stream comprising the BPL, or a carbonylation stream comprising the PPL, or a combination thereof;
• (i) converting at least a portion of the BPL in the carbonylation stream to acrylic acid (AA) to produce an AA stream comprising the AA;
• or
• (ii) converting at least a portion of the BPL in the carbonylation stream to PPL to produce a PPL stream comprising the PPL, and converting at least a portion of the PPL to AA to produce an AA stream comprising the AA;
• or
• (iii) converting at least a portion of the PPL in the carbonylation stream to AA to produce an AA stream comprising the AA;
• or
• any combinations of (i)-(iii);
• converting at least a portion of the AA of the AA streams of (i)-(iii) to a polyacrylic acid (PAA), or a salt thereof to produce a PAA stream comprising the PAA, or a salt thereof;
• directly converting at least a portion of the PAA, or a salt thereof, of the PAA stream to a superabsorbent polymer (SAP);
• and
• wherein the integrated system is a single system that is confined to a single geographic location and comprises an abutting series of reactors or system components.