Preparation and characterization of PAA/ GG-zeolite nano-composite hydrogel for agricultural applications

Abstract

The worldwide water crisis has become adverse in recent times, affecting water usage in various fields, including industries, agriculture, and domestic. This research aims to produce a nano-composite hydrogel based on natural materials using zeolite and guar gum (Zeolite-GG). For the development of PAA/GG-Zeolite nano-composite hydrogel (PGZ nano-composite hydrogel), acrylic acid (AA) act as monomer, polyethylene glycol (PEG-600) act as a crosslinker and potassium persulfate (KPS) used as the initiator. The developed nano-composite material has been characterised using numerous tests such as, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX). The size range from 30.76 to 62.01 nm is found in SEM analysis. The Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis confirms that the material consists of a spherical shape with a size range of 56.40 nm–82.70 nm.Moreover, the EDX test confirms the existence of Potassium (60.20%), Carbon (20.03%), and Oxygen (19.76%) in the synthesized material. Furthermore, the presence of material functional groups and thermal stability was verified using FTIR and TGA, respectively. The swelling index of developed hydrogel is found to be 92.50 mL per gram. The synthesized PGZ Nano-composite hydrogel has enough potential to act as a nutrient carrier and soil conditioning agent in agriculture, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions, due to its higher Potassium (K) content and high water absorption capacity.