Water-absorbing, cellular, cross-linked polymers with improved distribution effect, method for their production and their use

Abstract

Water-absorbing, expanded, crosslinked polymers obtainable by (I) foaming a polymerizable aqueous mixture which comprises (a) monoethylenically unsaturated monomers which contain acidic groups and are optionally neutralized, (b) optionally other monoethylenically unsaturated monomers, (c) crosslinkers, (d) initiators, (e) 0.1-20% by weight of at least one surfactant, (f) optionally at least one solubilizer and (g) optionally thickeners, foam stabilizers, polymerization regulators, fillers and/or cell nucleating agents, where the foaming takes place by dissolving a gas which is inert to free radicals under a pressure of 2-400 bar in the polymerizable aqueous mixture, and then decompressing the latter to atmospheric pressure, and (II) polymerizing the foamed mixture to form an expanded hydrogel and, where appropriate, adjusting the water content of the expanded polymer to 1-60% by weight, process for preparing the water-absorbing, expanded, crosslinked polymers and use of these polymers in sanitary articles employed for absorbing body fluids, in dressing material for covering wounds, as sealing material, as soil improver, as soil substitute and as packaging material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.