Authors: Xiaobin Hu
Publish Date: 2010/05/11
Volume: 66, Issue: 4, Pages: 447-462
Abstract
A novel superabsorbent hydrogel has been synthesized with the crosslinking graft copolymerization of acrylic acid AA and acrylamide onto the chain of silk sericin Potassium persulfate KPS–sodium sulfite NaHSO3 as redox initiation system and NN′methylenebisacrylamide MBA as crosslinker were used The structure of the product characterized by Fourier transform infrared absorption spectroscopy and the surface morphology of the hydrogel were observed by scanning electron microscopy The certain parameters of the graft copolymerization including the monomer the initiator the crosslinker concentration neutralization degree of AA reaction temperature and time were systematically optimized to achieve a hydrogel with maximum swelling capacity 2150 g/g The optimal conditions were initiator 8 mmol/L MBA 25 mmol/L neutralization degree of AA 75 reaction temperature 55 °C and time 6 h The swelling ratio in salt solutions was also determined in 09 NaCl aqueous solution 98 g/g In addition the swelling capability of the hydrogel was measured in solutions with pH ranged from 1 to 13 The synthesized hydrogel exhibited a pHdependent character Water absorbency of the product in aqueous chloride salt solutions has the Na+ Ca2+ Mg2+ Al3+ order in the investigated concentration
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