Patent ID: 7838567

Claim:
A water-absorbing basic polymer foam prepared by (I) foaming a crosslinkable aqueous mixture including (a) at least one basic polymer whose basic groups have optionally been neutralized, said basic polymer free of acid monomers, (b) at least one crosslinker, (c) at least one surfactant, (d) optionally at least one solubilizer, (e) optionally thickeners, foam stabilizers, fillers, fibers, cell nucleators, and mixtures thereof and (f) optionally particulate water-absorbing acidic polymers, by dissolving a gas which is inert toward free radicals in the crosslinkable aqueous mixture under a pressure from 2 to 400 bar and subsequently decompressing the crosslinkable aqueous mixture to atmospheric or by dispersing fine bubbles of a gas which is inert toward free radicals, and (II) crosslinking the foamed mixture to form a hydrogel foam and optionally adjusting a water content of the polymer foam to 1-60% by weight.