Superabsorbent polymers are high-performance synthetic
polymers having outstanding water-absorbing capacity. This chapter emphasises
the fabrication of novel biopolymer-based superabsorbent nanocomposite using
guar gum (GG) and methylmethacrylate (MMA) by free radical graft
copolymerisation reaction with boric acid as a cross-linking agent and hydrogen
peroxide as an initiator in a complete aqueous solution. The fabricated superabsorbent nanocomposite
has excellent water absorption capacity. Absorbency of the superabsorbent
composite was measured by the free swelling method and calculated in terms of
percentage swelling. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis was carried out
to confirm the grafting of methyl methacrylate onto guar gum. The morphological
study of the composite was carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) confirms the stability of the nanocomposite.
The composite was characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD) to study its
crystalline nature. The water absorption capacity of the superabsorbent was
measured in distilled water by the free swelling method as a function of
percentage swelling and found to be 3000%. The effect of reaction parameters
such as guar gum concentration, monomer concentration, initiator concentration,
cross-linker concentration and temperature was investigated. The percentage
swelling of the superabsorbent composite was studied at various pH values
between 2.0 and 13.0. The swelling behaviour of the composite was also examined
in saline solutions. The swelling behaviour of the composite was also examined
in saline solutions. The result shows that swelling capacity is decreased by
increasing the ionic strength of the swelling medium. This behaviour is because
of the charge screening effect for monovalent cations as well as ionic
crosslinking for multivalent cations. The prepared superabsorbent composite can
be used in various applications like agriculture, horticulture, removal of
toxic dyes, oil spill cleaning, etc.
Author(s) Details
Kartika Rathore
Applied and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry,
Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur–342011, Rajasthan, India.
Sangeeta Loonker
Applied and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry,
Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur–342011, Rajasthan, India.
Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cmsrf/v6/6852
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