Poly(acrylic acid) from bio-based acrylic acid and its derivatives
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsJane Ellen Godlewski, Janette Villalobos, Dimitris Ioannis Collias, Axel Meyer, Peter Dziezok, Juan Estaban Velasquez
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Abstract
Bio-based glacial acrylic acid, produced from hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof and having impurities of hydroxypropionic acid, hydroxypropionic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof, is polymerized to poly(acrylic acid) or superabsorbent polymer using the same processes as petroleum-derived glacial acrylic acid.
Claims20
A superabsorbent polymer composition produced from an acrylic composition, wherein said acrylic composition comprises an acrylic acid composition, wherein said acrylic acid composition consists of acrylic acid, acrylic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof, wherein said acrylic acid composition comprises at least about 98 wt % acrylic acid, acrylic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof, and wherein a portion of the remaining impurities in said acrylic acid composition is lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives, or mixtures thereof;
- and further, wherein said superabsorbent polymer is produced by the steps comprising:
- a. Preparing a pre-polymerization solution comprising glacial acrylic acid, methylene bis-acrylamide, and water;
- b. Mixing sodium hydroxide into said pre-polymerization solution to form a partially neutralized acrylic acid solution;
- c. Combining 2,2′-azobis(2-methylpropionamidine)dihydrochloride with said partially neutralized acrylic acid solution to produce a polymerization mixture;
- d. Polymerizing said polymerization mixture using UV light to produce a gel;
- and
- e. Drying said gel to produce the superabsorbent polymer composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.