Chitosan-g-poly(acrylamide)/diatomite Superabsorbent Composites: Synthesis And Investigation Of Swelling Properties

Résumé: A series of intelligent superabsorbent polymers composites was prepared through free radical graft-copolymerization of acrylamide (AAm) onto chitosan backbone and crosslinking in absence and in presence of diatomaceous Earth (DE) as inorganic additive at different compositions in aqueous medium using potassium persulfate (KPS) and N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as initiator and crosslinker, respectively. These materials were also hydrolyzed to achieve superabsorbents with ampholytic properties. The structural characterization was realized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and the porous morphology was observed by scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The application of such superabsorbents as hygienic products has been prospected by studying the effect of DE content on the load-free swelling absorbency in deionized water and 0.9% saline solution, the Centrifuge Retention Capacity (CRC), and the Absorbency Under Load (AUL). The results have revealed that the optimized values of free-swelling and CRC were reached at 15 wt. % DE loading. Also, the presence of the inorganic additive within the network has improved the AUL values.

Publié dans la revue: Journal of Materials, Processes and Environment