Patent ID: 7638078

Claim:
A process for production of hydrogel particles, which is a process for production of the hydrogel particles from a high-concentration hydrogel sheet and comprises: a step (a) of providing a cutting means and cutting a continuous sheet of a crosslinked high-concentration hydrogel polymer of 50 to 80 weight % in solid component concentration every 10 to 100 cm lengthwise of the continuous sheet while running it lengthwise, thereby obtaining cut pieces, said step (a) including a step (a-3) of supplying a medium to the cutting means for cutting the continuous sheet, wherein the medium is selected from the group consisting of water, warm water, and water vapor; and a step (b) of continuously supplying the cut pieces (obtained from the step (a)) to a continuous disintegrator to continuously carry out disintegration and discharge under conditions where the supply amount of the cut pieces and the disintegrating and discharging abilities of the continuous disintegrator satisfy (supply amount) ≦ (disintegrating and discharging abilities), thereby obtaining the hydrogel particles.