Superabsorbent polymer composites derived from polyacrylic acid: Design and synthesis, characterization, and swelling capacities

Abstract

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) were synthesized by aqueous solution polymerization of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/acrylic acid (AAc) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/AAc blend using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator. SAPs were synthesized by a facile method under mild conditions. A comparative study was done between CMC/AAc as a biodegradable superabsorbent and PVA/AAc copolymer. The effects of cross-linking, reaction time, temperature, and initiator molar ratio on water absorbency were studied herein. The highest swelling capacity was obtained for CMC/AAc biodegradable superabsorbent composite. The water absorption capacity of SAPs increased with increases in benzoyl peroxide content, immersion time, and reaction temperature of polymerization. The gel fraction of SAPs decreased with increases in the amounts of N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide as a cross-linker. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to examine the molecular interactions. The morphology and structure of superabsorbent composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy.

Superabsorbent Hydrogels in the Agriculture and Reclamation of Degraded Areas

“…Superabsorbents, depending on their chemical composition, can be divided into two groups. The raw materials for production of acrylic SAP are mostly petroleum-based, relatively cheap synthetic copolymers produced from vinyl monomers and chemically modified natural polymers [25,26] based on starch [27][28][29], cellulose [30][31][32][33][34], chitosan [13,[35][36][37], humic acid [38], proteins [39][40][41], alginate [42][43][44][45] agar [46], curdlan [47][48][49], gellan [50], xanthan [51,52] or arabic gum [46,53,54]. It is also possible to produce SAPs as a result of alkaline hydrolysis of polyacrylonitrile waste used for the production of fibres and fabrics [55] or a combination of several processes [56].…”

A Short Review on Recent Advances of Hydrogel-Based Adsorbents for Heavy Metal Ions

“…The reaction takes place at a high temperature and produces a highly viscous hydrogel because of a high degree of polymerization which causes a high concentration of monomers. This hydrogel will become soft in water [72]. An emulsion or inversesuspension polymerization is oil-in-water emulsion polymerization.…”

Bactericidal Activity of Superabsorbent Polymer Granules for Their Applications in Respiratory Fluid Solidification Systems

“…Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are three-dimensional cross-linked polymer structures that can absorb and retain a large amount of aqueous fluid compared to their dry weight. , High swelling capacity and good water retention ability of SAPs lead to potential applications in various fields including hygiene products (e.g., baby diapers, adult diapers, and sanitary napkins) − and biomedical healthcare products (e.g., drug delivery systems and wound dressing). − Several fluid solidification products are available in the international market including Isolyser from Ecolab, Medi-Solid Plus from Cardinal Health, SaniSorb from Multisorb filtration group, SafeSorb from DiSorb Systems, and so forth. However, there is not much information regarding the antimicrobial effect of these fluid solidification products.…”