Patents by Inventor Tokio SHUTO

Tokio SHUTO 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).

  • Patent number: 11806692
    Abstract: [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: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryota Wakabayashi, Mai Sato, Motohiro Imura, Tokio Shuto, Yoshihiro Shobo
  • Patent number: 11766659
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: 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
  • Patent number: 11465126
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: 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
  • Patent number: 10974223
    Abstract: [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: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: NIPPON SHOKUBAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tokio Shuto, Motohiro Imura, Shin-Ichi Fujino, Koji Honda, Ryota Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20190329220
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Hiroyasu WATABE, Mai SATO, Ryota WAKABAYASHI, Yoshihiro SHOBO, Shin-ya KATSUBE, Motohiro IMURA, Koji HONDA, Shin-ichi FUJINO, Kunihiko ISHIZAKI, Tokio SHUTO
  • Publication number: 20190329219
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    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
  • Publication number: 20190201868
    Abstract: [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: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryota WAKABAYASHI, Mai SATO, Motohiro IMURA, Tokio SHUTO, Yoshihiro SHOBO
  • Publication number: 20190001302
    Abstract: [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: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Tokio SHUTO, Motohiro IMURA, Shin-ichi FUJINO, Koji HONDA, Ryota WAKABAYASHI