Patent ID: 7329701

Claim:
Superabsorbent particles comprising: (i) about 50% to about 95%, by weight, of a superabsorbent polymer; and (ii) about 5% to about 50%, by weight, of a clay, said particles prepared by a method comprising the steps of: (a) polymerizing an unneutralized monomer capable of providing a superabsorbent absorbent polymer in the presence of an internal crosslinking monomer to form a superabsorbent polymer hydrogel; (b) comminuting the superabsorbent polymer hydrogel to form superabsorbent polymer hydrogel particles; (c) admixing a clay with the superabsorbent polymer hydrogel particles to form superabsorbent polymer-clay hydrogel particles; (d) then neutralizing the superabsorbent polymer-clay hydrogel particles by adding a sufficient amount of a neutralizing agent to neutralize the hydrogel particles 50% to 100%, by weight; and (e) drying the neutralized superabsorbent polymer-clay hydrogel particles of step (d) to provide the superabsorbent particles.