Sugar-containing water-absorbing composition which facilitates fiber formation
AssigneeArco Chemical Company
InventorBi Le-Khac
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A copolymer of recurring units of at least one .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated monomer and recurring units of at least one copolymerizable comonomer comprising, in its preferred embodiment from about 20 to about 80 percent pendant carboxylic acid units and from about 80 to about 20 percent pendant carboxylate salt units, is blended with at least one disccharide or oligosaccharide to produce a water-absorbing composition upon curing. The composition is particularly suitable for fiber formation.
Claims37
A composition which is water-absorbent upon curing comprising:
- (a) a copolymer containing from about 25 to about 75 mole percent recurring units of at least one .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated monomer bearing at least one pendant unit selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid units and derivatives of carboxylic acid units and from about 75 to about 25 mole percent recurring units of at least one copolymerizable comonomer, wherein from about 20 to about 80 percent of the total pendant units introduced through the recurring units of the .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated monomer must either be carboxylic acid units or must be converted into carboxylic acid units, and wherein from about 80 to about 20 percent of the total pendant units must either be carboxylate salt units or must be converted into carboxylate salt units;
- and
- (b) at least one carbohydrate compound selected from the group consisting of disaccharides and oligosaccharides.
A method of producing a water-absorbing composition comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing a blend of (i) a copolymer containing from about 25 to about 75 mole percent recurring units of at least one .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated monomer bearing at least one pendant unit selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid units and derivatives of carboxylic acid units and from about 75 to about 25 mole percent recurring units of at least one copolymerizable comonomer, wherein from about 20 to about 80 percent of the total pendant units introduced through the recurring units of the .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated monomer must either be carboxylic acid units or must be converted into carboxylic acid units and wherein from about 80 to about 20 percent of the total pendant units must either be carboxylate salt units or must be converted into carboxylate metal salt units;
- and (ii) at least one carbohydrate compound selected from the group consisting of disaccharides and oligosaccharides;
- and
- (b) curing the resulting blend.
An article of manufacture comprising a cured water-absorbing composition and a means for supporting said composition for absorption usage, wherein said water-absorbing composition comprises a blend of:
- (a) a copolymer containing from about 25 to about 75 mole percent recurring units of at least one .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated monomer bearing at least one pendant unit selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid units and derivatives of carboxylic acid units and from about 75 to about 25 mole percent recurring units of at least one copolymerizable comonomer, wherein from about 20 to about 80 percent of the total pendant units introduced through the recurring units of the .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated monomer must either be carboxylic acid units or must be converted into carboxylic acid units, and wherein from about 80 to about 20 percent of the total pendant units must either be carboxylate salt units or must be converted into carboxylate metal salt units;
- and
- (b) at least one carbohydrate compound selected from the group consisting of disaccharides and oligosaccharides.
A method of enhancing the water absorption characteristics of an article of manufacture which comprises the step of incorporating into said article a cured water absorbing composition which comprises a blend of:
- (a) a copolymer containing from about 25 to about 75 mole percent recurring units of at least one .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated monomer bearing at least one pendant unit selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid units and derivatives of carboxylic acid units and from about 75 to about 25 mole percent recurring units of at least one copolymerizable comonomer, wherein from about 20 to about 80 percent of the total pendant units introduced through the recurring units of the .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated monomer must either be carboxylic acid units or be converted into carboxylic acid units, and wherein from about 80 to about 20 percent of the total pendant units must either be carboxylate metal salt units or be converted into carboxylate metal salt units;
- and
- (b) at least one carbohydrate compound selected from the group consisting of disaccharides and oligosaccharides, said composition being incorporated into said article in an effective amount to enhance at least one water-absorbing characteristic of said article as compared to the water-absorbing characteristics of the article in the absence of the composition.
A method of absorbing water and electrolyte solutions comprising the step of contacting the water or electrolyte solution to be absorbed with a cured water-absorbing composition comprising a blend of:
- (a) a copolymer containing from about 25 to about 75 mole percent recurring units of at least one .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated monomer bearing at least one pendant unit selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid units and derivatives of carboxylic acid units and from about 75 to about 25 mole percent recurring units of at least one copolymerizable comonomer, wherein from about 20 to about 80 percent of the total pendant units introduce through the recurring units of the .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated monomer must either be carboxylic acid units or must be converted into carboxylic acid units, and wherein from about 80 to about 20 percent of the total pendant units must either be carboxylate salt units or must be converted into carboxylate salt units;
- and
- (b) at least one carbohydrate compound selected from the group consisting of disaccharides and oligosaccharides.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.