Synthesis and Characterization Superabsorbent Polymers Made of Starch, Acrylic Acid, Acrylamide, Poly(Vinyl Alcohol), 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate, 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane Sulfonic Acid.

Elżbieta Czarnecka,Jacek Nowaczyk

doi:10.3390/ijms22094325

Elżbieta Czarnecka, Jacek Nowaczyk

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22094325

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Abstract

Three polymers with excellent absorption properties were synthesized by graft polymerization: soluble starch-g-poly(acrylic acid-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly(vinyl alcohol)/potato starch-g-poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide), poly(vinyl alcohol)/potato starch-g-poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide-co-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid). Ammonium persulfate and potassium persulfate were used as initiators, while N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide was used as the crosslinking agent. The molecular structure of potato and soluble starch grafted by synthetic polymers was characterized by means of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The morphology of the resulting materials was studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Thermal stability was tested by thermogravimetric measurements. The absorption properties of the obtained biopolymers were tested in deionized water, sodium chroma solutions of various concentrations and in buffer solutions of various pH.

Highlights

Two superabsorbent polymers were synthesized based on starch: soluble starch (SS)-g-P(AA-co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)), and starch + poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) interpenetrating polymer networks: PVA/potato starch (PS)-g-P(AA-co-AM-co-AMPS), PVA/PS-g-P(AA-co-AM)
The polymers were grafted using a set of acrylic monomers such as acrylic acid (AA), 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), acrylamide (AM), and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS)
The reactions were initiated with potassium persulfate and N,N 0 methylenebisacrylamide was used as a crosslinker

Summary

Introduction

In 1976, the United States Department of Agriculture introduced polymers with water absorbency called superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) [1], which have found wide application in many industries including: gardening, agriculture, cosmetics, controlled drug release, hygiene products, and wastewater treatment [2,3]. These extraordinary polymer materials consist of weakly cross-linked chains having hydrophilic moieties, allowing them to retain water up to thousands of times their own weight [4]. The market of SAPs is dominated by petroleum-based synthetic polymers having a long decomposition time, which inflicts a negative impact on the environment [5]

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