	US 11,746,210 B2
	Recycling of superabsorbent polymer with an extensional flow device
Dimitris Ioannis Collias, Mason, OH (US); John Andrew McDaniel, West Chester, OH (US); Gary Wayne Gilbertson, Liberty Township, OH (US); Martin Ian James, Hamilton, OH (US); and Arsen Arsenov Simonyan, Schwalbach (DE)
Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed by The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed on Jun. 8, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/341,479.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/039,498, filed on Jun. 16, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0388173 A1, Dec. 16, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C08J 11/16 (2006.01); C08J 11/14 (2006.01); C08F 120/06 (2006.01)

CPC C08J 11/14 (2013.01) [C08F 120/06 (2013.01); C08J 2333/02 (2013.01)]

13 Claims

1. A method for degrading a superabsorbent polymer (SAP) to poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) comprising flowing a feed stream comprising said SAP into an inlet of an extensional flow device and producing a product stream comprising PAA at an outlet of said extensional flow device; wherein said feed stream comprises water and SAP at a concentration greater than about 1 wt %; wherein said feed stream has a residence time in said extensional flow device of less than about 120 s; wherein said degradation of said SAP to said PAA requires a total energy of less than about 16 MJ/kg SAP; and wherein said PAA has a weight-average molecular weight less than about 1,000,000 g/mol.