Abstract
A series of novel superabsorbent composites of poly(acrylic acid)/semicoke were prepared by polymerization of acrylic acid using ammonium persulphate as initiator, N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide as crosslinker and semicoke which was the by-product of coal carbonizing as the inorganic components. FTIR and SEM analysis indicated that the superabsorbent composites had been successfully polymerized and the semicoke participated in construction of the 3D polymeric network. Meanwhile, the effects of initiator, crosslinker, semicoke, and neutralization degree, as well as the pH value, were investigated, and the results showed that superabsorbent composites containing 10% of semicoke possessed the maximum water absorbency of 584 g/g in distilled water and 75 g/g in 0.9% NaCl solution. The superabsorbent composites kept the high water absorbency within a wide pH range of 4–11, and still exhibited better re-swelling capability even after seven times. The superabsorbent composite with its excellent performance is a potential water-retaining agent used in agriculture.
Highlights
Superabsorbent hydrogels are three-dimensionally crosslinked networks that can absorb and retain possibly large amounts of water in the aqueous solvent [1]
The superabsorbent hydrogels prepared by using fossil products such as acrylic acid (AA), have the downsides of high cost, restricting its applications in agriculture
In the FTIR, the characterization peaks appearing at 2924 cm−1 and 2848 cm−1 were symmetric and asymmetric stretching vibration towards –CH2, characterization peak at 1613 cm−1 and 1434 cm−1 were -OH or the asymmetric stretching of –COO− and the scissoring vibration of –CH [35]
Summary
Superabsorbent hydrogels are three-dimensionally crosslinked networks that can absorb and retain possibly large amounts of water in the aqueous solvent [1]. In agriculture, the superabsorbent hydrogels have been widely sought after in society because of their water storage function and slow release effect. The superabsorbent hydrogels prepared by using fossil products such as acrylic acid (AA), have the downsides of high cost, restricting its applications in agriculture. A large number of researches have indicated that the introduction of a certain amount of inorganic substances into the polymeric structure of superabsorbent hydrogels cannot only significantly increase its water absorption rate, and effectively reduce the product cost. The superabsorbent composites, which incorporate the inorganic materials including silicate mineral and metallic ions such as attapulgite [11,12], kaolinite [13,14], bentonite [15,16], titanium dioxide [17,18], zinc oxide, and aluminum ions [19] into the superabsorbent composites have attracted researchers’
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