Patents by Inventor Motohiro Imura
Motohiro Imura has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11806692Abstract: [Object] To provide a method for efficiently producing a water-absorbing agent having excellent physical properties. [Solution] The method for producing a water-absorbing agent includes a drying step of drying a particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer containing a drying aid. The drying aid is (a) a compound having a betaine structure and having a long-chain alkyl group having 8 or more carbon atoms, one quaternary nitrogen, and one acid group within a molecule thereof and/or (b) a compound having a long-chain alkyl group having 8 or more carbon atoms, one tertiary nitrogen, and one or more acid groups within a molecule thereof. An addition amount of the drying aid with respect to a gel solid content of the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer is 0.001% by mass to 0.5% by mass. In this production method, surface-crosslinking is performed on water-absorbent resin powder obtained through the drying step.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2017Date of Patent: November 7, 2023Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Ryota Wakabayashi, Mai Sato, Motohiro Imura, Tokio Shuto, Yoshihiro Shobo
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Patent number: 11766659Abstract: The production method includes a drying step of drying a particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer obtained by polymerizing a monomer, which is a material of a water-absorbent resin, using a heating device to obtain dried particles. The heating device includes: a rotary container that contains the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer therein and rotates; and a plurality of heating tubes that are located within the rotary container, extend in an axial direction of the rotary container, and rotate together with the rotary container. A gel temperature of the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer to be subjected to the drying step, the gel temperature being measured by a contact thermometer, is not lower than 50° C.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2017Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Hiroyasu Watabe, Mai Sato, Ryota Wakabayashi, Yoshihiro Shobo, Shin-ya Katsube, Motohiro Imura, Koji Honda, Shin-ichi Fujino, Kunihiko Ishizaki, Tokio Shuto
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Patent number: 11465126Abstract: The production method includes: 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. The particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer contains a gel fluidizer. 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. In the production method, the dried particles or the post-crosslinked dried particles is forcedly cooled before the sizing step.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2017Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Hiroyasu Watabe, Mai Sato, Ryota Wakabayashi, Yoshihiro Shobo, Shin-ya Katsube, Motohiro Imura, Koji Honda, Yoshifumi Adachi, Tsuyoshi Yorino, Masafumi Inoue, Tomoyuki Arake, Hiroki Hayashi, Naoki Katakura, Shin-ichi Fujino, Kunihiko Ishizaki, Tokio Shuto
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Patent number: 11459431Abstract: As a method for producing a polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water absorbent resin particle which less generates fine powder and has an excellent impact resistance and a high moisture content even in a case where the polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water absorbent resin particle is produced on a large scale, employed is a production method including the steps of: (a) adding a surface crosslinking agent solution to water absorbent resin powder to obtain a mixture; (b) reacting the mixture; and, thereafter (c) adding an aqueous liquid to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the water absorbent resin powder during the step (b) and (ii) the water absorbent resin powder after the step (b), an atmospheric dew point being not lower than 20° C. in the step (c), and a temperature of the water absorbent resin powder being higher than the atmospheric dew point in the step (c).Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2020Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Hidenori Wada, Motohiro Imura, Katsuyuki Wada, Seiji Kato
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Patent number: 10974223Abstract: [Object] To provide a method for producing a water-absorbent resin in powder form or particle form, which has excellent physical properties such as water absorption performance and the like, at high productivity. [Solution] A method for producing a water-absorbent resin includes: a polymerization step of polymerizing a monomer, which is a raw material of the water-absorbent resin, to obtain a hydrous gel crosslinked polymer dispersed in an organic solvent; and a separation step of separating the organic solvent and the hydrous gel crosslinked polymer. The separation step includes transfer, compression, and discharge of the hydrous gel crosslinked polymer.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2016Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Tokio Shuto, Motohiro Imura, Shin-Ichi Fujino, Koji Honda, Ryota Wakabayashi
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Publication number: 20200317872Abstract: As a method for producing a polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water absorbent resin particle which less generates fine powder and has an excellent impact resistance and a high moisture content even in a case where the polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water absorbent resin particle is produced on a large scale, employed is a production method including the steps of: (a) adding a surface crosslinking agent solution to water absorbent resin powder to obtain a mixture; (b) reacting the mixture; and, thereafter (c) adding an aqueous liquid to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the water absorbent resin powder during the step (b) and (ii) the water absorbent resin powder after the step (b), an atmospheric dew point being not lower than 20° C. in the step (c), and a temperature of the water absorbent resin powder being higher than the atmospheric dew point in the step (c).Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2020Publication date: October 8, 2020Applicant: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Hidenori WADA, Motohiro IMURA, Katsuyuki WADA, Seiji KATO
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Patent number: 10662300Abstract: A method is disclosed for inexpensively and stably producing, with high productivity, water absorbent resin having excellent damage resistance. A method for producing a polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water absorbent resin, the method comprising a surface-crosslinking step, the surface-crosslinking step including a reaction step, the reaction step involving using a reactor having (i) an inner wall surface having a temperature within a range of 100° C. to 250° C. and (ii) an inside atmosphere having a dew point within a range of 60° C. to 100° C., the reaction step including heat-treating a water absorbent resin mixture so as to produce water absorbent resin powder having a temperature within a range of 90° C. to 130° C.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2014Date of Patent: May 26, 2020Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Motohiro Imura, Hidenori Wada, Seiji Kato
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Patent number: 10640591Abstract: [Object] To provide a method for stably producing a water-absorbent resin in powder form or particle form, which has excellent physical properties such as water absorption performance and the like, without any production trouble. [Solution] A method for producing a water-absorbent resin includes mixing a monomer composition, which contains at least a monomer and a pyrolytic polymerization initiator, with an organic solvent, a temperature of the organic solvent is not lower than 70° C. at time of mixing, and when a mass per unit time of the monomer in the monomer composition to be mixed with the organic solvent is expressed as an amount per unit volume of the organic solvent, a lower limit is 0.01 g/ml/min, and an upper limit is 0.2 g/ml/min.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2015Date of Patent: May 5, 2020Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Motohiro Imura, Shin-ichi Fujino, Ryota Wakabayashi, Kozo Nogi, Koji Honda, Yoshiki Katada, Kenji Kadonaga
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Patent number: 10537874Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a particulate water absorbing agent, the method including the steps of: a polymerization step of polymerizing an acrylic acid (salt)-based aqueous monomer solution so as to obtain a crosslinked hydrogel polymer; a drying step of drying the crosslinked hydrogel polymer so as to obtain a dried polymer; a classification step of classifying a polymer subjected to classification so as to obtain a water-absorbing resin powder having a specific particle size; and a surface-crosslinking step of surface-crosslinking the water-absorbing resin powder that is not surface crosslinked, wherein the classification step is carried out at least either or both of before and/or after the surface-crosslinking step but after said drying step, and wherein a hole shape of a classification sieve used in the classification step is an irregular polygonal or non-circular.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2016Date of Patent: January 21, 2020Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Kazushi Torii, Kunihiko Ishizaki, Shinichi Fujino, Ryota Wakabayashi, Motohiro Imura
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Publication number: 20190329219Abstract: The production method includes: 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. The particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer contains a gel fluidizer. 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. In the production method, the dried particles or the post-crosslinked dried particles is forcedly cooled before the sizing step.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2017Publication date: October 31, 2019Inventors: Hiroyasu WATABE, Mai SATO, Ryota WAKABAYASHI, Yoshihiro SHOBO, Shin-ya KATSUBE, Motohiro IMURA, Koji HONDA, Yoshifumi ADACHI, Tsuyoshi YORINO, Masafumi INOUE, Tomoyuki ARAKE, Hiroki HAYASHI, Naoki KATAKURA, Shin-ichi FUJINO, Kunihiko ISHIZAKI, Tokio SHUTO
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Publication number: 20190329220Abstract: The production method includes a drying step of drying a particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer obtained by polymerizing a monomer, which is a material of a water-absorbent resin, using a heating device to obtain dried particles. The heating device includes: a rotary container that contains the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer therein and rotates; and a plurality of heating tubes that are located within the rotary container, extend in an axial direction of the rotary container, and rotate together with the rotary container. A gel temperature of the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer to be subjected to the drying step, the gel temperature being measured by a contact thermometer, is not lower than 50° C.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2017Publication date: October 31, 2019Inventors: Hiroyasu WATABE, Mai SATO, Ryota WAKABAYASHI, Yoshihiro SHOBO, Shin-ya KATSUBE, Motohiro IMURA, Koji HONDA, Shin-ichi FUJINO, Kunihiko ISHIZAKI, Tokio SHUTO
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Publication number: 20190201868Abstract: [Object] To provide a method for efficiently producing a water-absorbing agent having excellent physical properties. [Solution] The method for producing a water-absorbing agent includes a drying step of drying a particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer containing a drying aid. The drying aid is (a) a compound having a betaine structure and having a long-chain alkyl group having 8 or more carbon atoms, one quaternary nitrogen, and one acid group within a molecule thereof and/or (b) a compound having a long-chain alkyl group having 8 or more carbon atoms, one tertiary nitrogen, and one or more acid groups within a molecule thereof. An addition amount of the drying aid with respect to a gel solid content of the particulate crosslinked hydrogel polymer is 0.001% by mass to 0.5% by mass. In this production method, surface-crosslinking is performed on water-absorbent resin powder obtained through the drying step.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2017Publication date: July 4, 2019Applicant: Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.Inventors: Ryota WAKABAYASHI, Mai SATO, Motohiro IMURA, Tokio SHUTO, Yoshihiro SHOBO
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Publication number: 20190001302Abstract: [Object] To provide a method for producing a water-absorbent resin in powder form or particle form, which has excellent physical properties such as water absorption performance and the like, at high productivity. [Solution] A method for producing a water-absorbent resin includes: a polymerization step of polymerizing a monomer, which is a raw material of the water-absorbent resin, to obtain a hydrous gel crosslinked polymer dispersed in an organic solvent; and a separation step of separating the organic solvent and the hydrous gel crosslinked polymer. The separation step includes transfer, compression, and discharge of the hydrous gel crosslinked polymer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2016Publication date: January 3, 2019Inventors: Tokio SHUTO, Motohiro IMURA, Shin-ichi FUJINO, Koji HONDA, Ryota WAKABAYASHI
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Patent number: 10029027Abstract: A water-absorbing resin composition including 100 parts by weight of water-absorbing resin particles and 0.01 to 1 part by weight of additive particles, wherein a percent by weight of the additive particles, (x [%]), based on 100% by weight of the water-absorbing resin particles in the composition, and weight ratio of free additive particles, (y), relative to the percent by weight, (x [%]), satisfy the following formula: 0.04(x)0.1?y?0.2(x)0.5.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2014Date of Patent: July 24, 2018Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Takahiro Kitano, Yorimichi Dairoku, Sumio Okuda, Kozo Nogi, Motohiro Imura
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Publication number: 20180071714Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a particulate water absorbing agent, the method including the steps of: a polymerization step of polymerizing an acrylic acid (salt)-based aqueous monomer solution so as to obtain a crosslinked hydrogel polymer; a drying step of drying the crosslinked hydrogel polymer so as to obtain a dried polymer; a classification step of classifying a polymer subjected to classification so as to obtain a water-absorbing resin powder having a specific particle size; and a surface-crosslinking step of surface-crosslinking the water-absorbing resin powder that is not surface crosslinked, wherein the classification step is carried out at least either or both of before and/or after the surface-crosslinking step but after said drying step, and wherein a hole shape of a classification sieve used in the classification step is an irregular polygonal or non-circular.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2016Publication date: March 15, 2018Applicant: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Kazushi TORII, Kunihiko ISHIZAKI, Shinichi FUJINO, Ryota WAKABAYASHI, Motohiro IMURA
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Patent number: 9775927Abstract: A particulate water absorbing agent of the present invention is a water absorbing agent containing a water absorbing resin as a main component, the particulate water absorbing agent containing a polyvalent metal cation and satisfying: (1) the polyvalent metal cation is contained in an amount between 0.001 wt % and 5 wt % relative to the amount of the water absorbing agent; (2) an absorbency without pressure (CRC) is not less than 28 (g/g) and an absorbency against pressure (AAP 4.83 kPa) is not less than 10 (g/g); (3) the absorbency against pressure and the absorbency without pressure satisfy 77 ?AAP (4.83 kPa)+1.8×CRC?100; and (4) a moisture content of the water absorbing agent is between 5 wt % and 20 wt %. This provides a water absorbing agent which has blocking resistance after moisture absorption, is excellent in stability to shock and suppresses Re-Wet when used in a diaper.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2014Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Taishi Kobayashi, Motohiro Imura, Taku Iwamura, Katsuyuki Wada, Kozo Nogi, Yoshiro Mitsukami, Masato Abe, Hiroko Ueda, Koji Honda
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Publication number: 20170267793Abstract: [Object] To provide a method for stably producing a water-absorbent resin in powder form or particle form, which has excellent physical properties such as water absorption performance and the like, without any production trouble. [Solution] A method for producing a water-absorbent resin includes mixing a monomer composition, which contains at least a monomer and a pyrolytic polymerization initiator, with an organic solvent, a temperature of the organic solvent is not lower than 70° C. at time of mixing, and when a mass per unit time of the monomer in the monomer composition to be mixed with the organic solvent is expressed as an amount per unit volume of the organic solvent, a lower limit is 0.01 g/ml/min, and an upper limit is 0.2 g/ml/min.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2015Publication date: September 21, 2017Inventors: Motohiro IMURA, Shin-ichi FUJINO, Ryota WAKABAYASHI, Kozo NOGI, Koji HONDA, Yoshiki KATADA, Kenji KADONAGA
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Publication number: 20160083533Abstract: A method is disclosed for inexpensively and stably producing, with high productivity, water absorbent resin having excellent damage resistance. A method for producing a polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water absorbent resin, the method comprising a surface-crosslinking step, the surface-crosslinking step including a reaction step, the reaction step involving using a reactor having (i) an inner wall surface having a temperature within a range of 100° C. to 250° C. and (ii) an inside atmosphere having a dew point within a range of 60° C. to 100° C., the reaction step including heat-treating a water absorbent resin mixture so as to produce water absorbent resin powder having a temperature within a range of 90° C. to 130° C.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2014Publication date: March 24, 2016Inventors: Motohiro IMURA, Hidenori WADA, Seiji KATO
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Patent number: 9180220Abstract: A water absorbing agent of the present invention has an internal crosslinking structure obtained by polymerization of a water-soluble unsaturated monomer. The agent satisfies conditions (a) to (d): (a) the agent contains water-insoluble inorganic particles at an amount of from 10 ppm to 1,900 ppm inclusive; (b) the agent contains 5 mass % or less particles which have such a size that they can pass through a sieve having a mesh opening size of 150 ?m; (c) the agent has an absorbency against a pressure of 4.83 kPa (AAP) of 18 g/g or more; and (d) the water-insoluble inorganic particles reside on a surface of the water absorbing resin or near the surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2012Date of Patent: November 10, 2015Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Kazushi Torii, Hirofumi Shibata, Kazuki Kimura, Yasuhisa Nakashima, Motohiro Imura, Hiroko Ueda, Katsuyuki Wada
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Publication number: 20150307667Abstract: As a method for producing a polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water absorbent resin particle which less generates fine powder and has an excellent impact resistance and a high moisture content even in a case where the polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water absorbent resin particle is produced on a large scale, employed is a production method including the steps of: (a) adding a surface crosslinking agent solution to water absorbent resin powder to obtain a mixture; (b) reacting the mixture; and, thereafter (c) adding an aqueous liquid to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the water absorbent resin powder during the step (b) and (ii) the water absorbent resin powder after the step (b), an atmospheric dew point being not lower than 20° C. in the step (c), and a temperature of the water absorbent resin powder being higher than the atmospheric dew point in the step (c).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2013Publication date: October 29, 2015Applicant: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.Inventors: Hidenori WADA, Motohiro IMURA, Katsuyuki WADA, Seiji KATO