Abstract
A novel biopolymer-based superabsorbent hydrogel composite based on kappa-carrageenan (κC) have been prepared via graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) in the presence of bentonite powder using methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinking agent and ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator. The hydrogel structure was confirmed using FTIR spectroscopy and the morphology of the samples was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The affecting variables onto graft polymerization (i.e. AA, MBA and APS concentration, as well as the bentonite amount) were systematically optimized to achieve a hydrogel with swelling capacity as high as possible. The results of Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis showed that the average pore diameter of the synthesized hydrogel was 11.5 nm. The effect of various salt media and solutions with different pHs on the swelling of the superabsorbent was also studied.
Highlights
Polymer hydrogels, as a sort of unique soft materials, have attracted more and more attention because of their academic importance and special applications [1,2]
The hydrogel composite was prepared by graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto κC in the presence of a crosslinking agent and powdery bentonite (Scheme 1)
A novel superabsorbent composite based on κC was prepared by graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) in the presence of a crosslinking agent
Summary
As a sort of unique soft materials, have attracted more and more attention because of their academic importance and special applications [1,2]. Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are special soft and pliable polymeric materials that can be absorb large quantities of water, saline or physiological solutions while the absorbed solutions are not removable even under pressure [3,4] Because of their superior properties, they have found extensive applications such as disposable diapers, feminine napkins, drug delivery systems, and soil for agriculture and horticulture [5,6,7]. The gel strength can be improved through different methods such as surface crosslinking [1,11,12,13] and creating composite [1416] and nanocomposite structures [17,18,19,20] Because of their exceptional properties, i.e. biocompatibility, biodegradability, renewability, and non-toxicity, polysaccharides are the main part of the natural-based superabsorbent hydrogels [21,22,23,24]. The reaction variables affecting the water absorbency of the κC-gpoly(acrylic acid)/bentonite as well as the salt- and pHsensitivity of the hydrogels were investigated
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