Dust reducer consisting of multi-component metal compound, water absorbing agent containing multi-component metal compound, and method for producing the same
[Problem] To provide a dust reducer which suppresses blocking against moisture absorption and has a reduced amount of dust generation, without impairing the water absorption physical properties that are required from a water absorbing agent, such as water absorption capacity under load; a method for producing a water absorbing agent using the dust reducer; and a water absorbing agent in which blocking against moisture absorption is suppressed and which has a reduced amount of dust generation. [Solution] A dust reducer for a water absorbing agent containing a surface crosslinked polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water absorbent resin as a main component, wherein the dust reducer is a multi-component metal compound which has a hydrotalcite structure and contains a hydroxyl group and two kinds of metal cations that are divalent and trivalent.
1. A method for producing a water absorbing agent, the method comprising:
a surface cross-linking step; and
a multi-component metal compound adding step of adding a multi-component metal compound, which has a hydrotalcite structure and contains a hydroxyl group and two kinds of metal cations that are divalent and trivalent, to a polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water absorbent resin powder in an amount of 0.01% by mass to 5% by mass, wherein the volume average particle size of the multi-component metal compound is 2 μm or less.
2. The production method according to claim 1 , wherein in the multi-component metal compound adding step, the water absorbent resin powder and the multi-component metal compound are dry mixed.
3. The production method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface cross-linking step is carried out in a preceding step and/or a subsequent step of the multi-component metal compound adding step.
4. The production method according to claim 1 , further comprising a chelating agent adding step of adding a chelating agent.
5. The production method according to claim 1 , wherein the addition of a chelating agent is carried out in a step for preparing an aqueous solution of an acrylic acid (salt)-based monomer or in an aqueous solution polymerization step, and at least one selected from a chelating agent, an inorganic reducing agent, an α-hydroxycarboxylic acid, and a phosphorus compound is added after the surface cross-linking step and before the multi-component metal compound adding step.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the volume average particle size of the multi-component metal compound is greater than 0.1 μm and less than or equal to 2 μm.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the volume average particle size of the multi-component metal compound is greater than or equal to 0.3 μm and less than or equal to 2 μm.
8. A water absorbing agent comprising a polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water absorbent resin as a main component and having a blocking ratio against moisture absorption of 0% to 30% by mass, the water absorbing agent comprising 0.01% by mass to 5% by mass a multi-component metal compound which has a hydrotalcite structure and contains a hydroxyl group and two kinds of metal cations that are divalent and trivalent, wherein the volume average particle size of the multi-component metal compound is 2 μm or less.
9. The water absorbing agent according to claim 8 , wherein the absorption capacity under load (AAP) is 20 (g/g) or more.
10. The water absorbing agent according to claim 8 , further comprising a chelating agent.
11. The water absorbing agent according to claim 8 , wherein the volume average particle size of the multi-component metal compound is greater than 0.1 μm and less than or equal to 2 μm.
12. The water absorbing agent according to claim 8 , wherein the volume average particle size of the multi-component metal compound is greater than or equal to 0.3 μm and less than or equal to 2 μm.