Patent ID: 8895683

Claim:
A superabsorbent polymer comprises the reaction product of acrylic acid of I), a crosslinker agent, and a neutralization agent wherein the superabsorbent polymer is made by the process comprising the steps of: I) preparing acrylic acid wherein the acrylic acid is made from a fluid F1 containing 2-hydroxypropionic acid wherein said fluid F1 is obtained by a process comprising the process steps of i) preparation of 2-hydroxypropionic acid from carbohydrates to give an aqueous phase containing 2-hydroxypropionic acid and solids including microorganisms, and ii) separating off of the solids from said aqueous phase, wherein the process of preparing acrylic acid comprises the process steps: (a1) provision of said fluid F1 containing a 2-hydroxypropionic acid; wherein said fluid F1 is aqueous, and has a composition comprising (C1-1) from about 5 to about 20 wt. % of 2-hydroxypropionic acid, salts thereof, or mixtures thereof, (C1-2) from about 0.1 to about 5 wt. % of inorganic salts, (C1-3) from about 0.1 to about 30 wt. % of organic compounds which differ from 2-hydroxypropionic acid, (C1-4) from 0 to about 50 wt. % of solids, and (C1-5) from about 20 to about 90 wt. % of water, wherein the sum of components (C1-1) to (C1-5) is 100 wt. %; (a2) dehydration of said 2-hydroxypropionic acid to give a fluid F2 containing acrylic acid wherein the dehydration comprises a reactive distillation and the dehydration is carried out in a CO 2 atmosphere, or an inorganic acid, or both; and (a3) purification of said fluid F2 containing acrylic acid by crystallization to give a purified acrylic acid phase wherein said purified acrylic acid phase comprises acrylic acid having a purity of at least 70 wt. %; and II) polymerizing the acrylic acid of I) in the presence of a crosslinker and a neutralization agent to form a superabsorbent polymer wherein the superabsorbent polymer has a sustainability factor of from 50 to 95, wherein the sustainability factor indicates the proportion to which the superabsorbent polymer structure is based on non-fossil regenerating organic material; the superabsorbent polymer has a centrifugation retention capacity of from 25 g/g to 50 g/g, and an absorption against a pressure of 0.7 psi of from 16 g/g to 40 g/g.