Method for producing water-absorbent resin powder and production apparatus therefor

A method for producing water-absorbent resin powder, the method comprising:

• a gel-crushing step of grinding a crosslinked hydrogel polymer to obtain a particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer;
• a heating drying step of obtaining dried particles from the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer by using a continuous stirring drying machine;
• a post-crosslinking step of post-crosslinking the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer or the dried particles;
• and
• a sizing step of adjusting a particle size of the dried particles or the post-crosslinked dried particles to obtain water-absorbent resin powder, wherein
• the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer in the heating drying step contains a gel fluidizer, and a gel temperature of the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer containing the gel fluidizer, the gel temperature being measured by a contact thermometer, is not lower than 50° C., and
• the dried particles or the post-crosslinked dried particles is forcedly cooled before the sizing step.