Surface-Crosslinked Guar Gum-g-Sodium Polyacrylate Superabsorbents: Swelling Characteristics and Mechanics Performance

Abstract

Guar gum grafted sodium polyacrylate have been prepared via aqueous solution graft polymerization. Furthermore, the polymers were then surface-crosslinked using trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether (TMPTGE) to improve the properties of swollen hydrogel. Polymerization conditions were systematically optimized to achieve the optimum swelling capacity. FTIR and DSC spectra confirmed that sodium acrylate had been grafted onto guar gum chains. SEM observations showed morphology of the samples. The results confirmed that introducing guar gum into the superabsorbent could improve the swollen hydrogel mechanics performance, including hydrogel strength, resilience and dispersion, although making the water absorbency decreasing slightly. The good mechanics performance will make it feasible in hygiene application.