Study on Best Parameters and pH Solution on Water Absorbency of Rice Husk Superabsorbent Polymer Composite

Abstract

Rice Husk Superabsorbent Polymer Composites (RH-SPC) were synthesized through solution polymerization by using Acrylamide (AM) and Acryl Acid (AA) as monomer, Ammonium Persulphate (APS) as initiator and N, N-methylbisacrylamide (MBA) as cross-linker and rice husk (RH) as filler. The amount of rice husk filler and crosslinking agent were varied before the water absorbency (Q)of the prepared RH-SPC were tested by using tea bag method at different pH solution. In this study, the buffer solutions were prepared by the mixing of Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) and Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH). It was found that RH-SPC with the increment of 10 wt% (44.80 g/g) of rice husk filler and 0 wt% (91.40 g/g) of crosslinker results in the highest water absorbency value. Meanwhile, the best pH condition of 10 wt. % of rice husk husk filler and 0 wt% of crosslinker content show the optimum water absorbency at pH 8 and pH 6 with the value ofQare 51.20 g/g and 280.10 g/g, respectively.