Preparation of poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide)/kaolin and release kinetics of urea from it

A series of poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide)/kaolin [poly(AA‐co‐Am)/kaolin] composites were prepared by aqueous solution copolymerization of partially neutralized acrylic acid and acrylamide in the presence of kaolin nanopowder, which was synthesized to act as a release carrier of urea fertilizer. The superabsorbent composite was swollen in aqueous solution of urea to load urea, and the effect of urea concentration on the swelling was investigated. Furthermore, the effects of the contents of crosslinker, kaolin, and acrylamide, the neutralization degree of acrylic acid, and temperature, pH, and ionic strength of release medium on water absorbency and diffusion coefficient of urea release from poly(AA‐co‐Am)/kaolin were studied systematically. It was found that urea loading percentage could be adjusted by urea concentration of swelling medium, and urea diffusion coefficient could be regulated through the contents of crosslinker, kaolin, and acrylamide, and the neutralization degree of acrylic acid. Additionally, temperature and ionic strength of release medium may also affect the urea release process. The conclusions obtained could provide theoretical basis for urea diffusion behavior in superabsorbent used in agriculture. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007     

Multilayer‐coated NPK compound fertilizer hydrogel with controlled nutrient release and water absorbency

A novel trilayered controlled‐release nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer hydrogel was prepared by dipping the NPK fertilizer granules sequentially in 7% w v^?1 poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and 2% w v^?1 chitosan (CS) solutions and then cross‐linking the CS layer (cross‐CS) via glutaraldehyde vapor deposition. Different NPK fertilizer hydrogels were then synthesized by inverse suspension polymerization of the dried PVA/cross‐CS bilayer‐coated fertilizer granules in various molar ratios of acrylamide (AM) and acrylic acid (AA) monomers, and polymerization with varying molar ratios of ammonium persulfate, N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine and N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide (N‐MBA). The water dissolution time of the obtained PVA/cross‐CS/poly (AA‐co‐AM) trilayer‐coated NPK fertilizer hydrogel granules was prolonged, while the water absorbency increased with increasing AA contents, and decreased with increasing N‐MBA contents in the outer poly(AA‐co‐AM) coating. The optimal trilayer‐coated NPK fertilizer hydrogel obtained released 84 ± 18, 63 ± 12, and 36 ± 15% of the N, P, and K nutrients, respectively, after a 30‐day immersion in water. The release phenomena of the N, P, and K nutrients of the fertilizer hydrogel obeyed both the Korsmeyer‐Peppas and Ritger‐Peppas models with a pseudo‐Fickian diffusion mechanism. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41249.     

Influence of potassium humate on the swelling properties of a poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide)/ potassium humate superabsorbent composite

A novel superabsorbent composite, poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide)/potassium humate (PAA‐AM/KHA), was prepared by aqueous solution polymerization from acrylic acid, acrylamide, and potassium humate (KHA) with N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinker and potassium peroxydisulfate as an initiator. The effects of incorporated KHA on the water absorbency, swelling rate, and reswelling capability were investigated. The swelling property of PAA‐AM/KHA in various saline solutions was studied systematically. The results show that the comprehensive properties and especially salt‐resistant ability of PAA‐AM/KHA were enhanced. There was a linear relationship between the saturated water absorbency and the minus square root of the ionic strength of the external medium, and the water absorbency of PAA‐AM/KHA in various salt solutions had the following order: NH₄Cl_(aq) = KCl_(aq) = NaCl_(aq) > MgCl_2(aq) > CaCl_2(aq) > AlCl_3(aq) > FeCl_3(aq). Moreover, the polymeric net structure of PAA‐AM/KHA was examined with respect to that of poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide). The results indicate that the polymeric net of PAA‐AM/KHA was improved by the introduction of a moderate amount of KHA into the superabsorbent composite and made more suitable for agriculture and horticulture applications. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Preparation of starch‐graft‐poly(acrylamide)/attapulgite superabsorbent composite

A novel starch‐graft‐poly(acrylamide)/attapulgite superabsorbent composite was synthesized by graft copolymerization reaction of starch, acrylamide (AM), and attapulgite micropowder using N.N‐methylene‐bisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker and ammonium persulphate (APS) as an initiator in aqueous solution, followed by hydrolysis with sodium hydroxide. The effects on water absorbency, such as amount of crosslinker, initiator, attapulgite, weight ratio of acrylamide to starch in the feed, gelatinization conditions of starch and molar ratio of NaOH to acrylamide, and so forth, were investigated. These superabsorbent composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The water absorbencies for these superabsorbent composites in water and saline solution were investigated, and water retention tests were carried out. Results obtained from this study showed that the water absorbency of superabsorbent composite synthesized under optimal synthesis conditions with an attapulgite content of 10% exhibit absorption of 1317 g H₂O/g sample and 68 g H₂O/g sample in distilled water and in 0.9 wt % NaCl solution, respectively. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 1351–1357, 2005     

Synthesis and properties of carboxymethyl cellulose‐graft‐poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide) as a novel cellulose‐based superabsorbent

A new cellulose‐based superabsorbent polymer, carboxymethyl cellulose‐graft‐poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide), was prepared by the free‐radical grafting solution polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM) monomers onto carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in the presence of N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinker with a redox couple of potassium persulfate and sodium metabisulfite as an initiator. The influences of reaction variables such as the initiator content, crosslinker content, bath temperature, molar ratio of AA to AM, and weight ratio of the monomers to CMC on the water absorbency of the carboxymethylcellulose‐graft‐poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide) copolymer were investigated. The copolymer's structures were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The optimum reaction conditions were obtained as follows: the bath temperature was 50°C; the molar ratio of AA to AM was 3 : 1; the mass ratio of the monomers to CMC was 4 : 1; and the weight percentages of the crosslinker and initiator with respect to the monomers were 0.75 and 1%, respectively. The maximum water absorbency of the optimized product was 920 g/g for distilled water and 85 g/g for a 0.9 wt % aqueous NaCl solution. In addition, the superabsorbent possessed good water retention and salt resistance. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 1382–1388, 2007     

Study on superabsorbent composites. XVIII. Preparation,characterization, and property evaluation of poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide)/organomontmorillonite/sodium humate superabsorbent composites

A series of novel multifunctional poly (acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide) (PAA‐AM)/organomontmorillonite (O‐MMT)/sodium humate (SH) superabsorbent composites were synthesized by the graft copolymerization reaction of partially neutralized acrylic acid and acrylamide on O‐MMT micropowder and SH with N,N′‐methylene bisacrylamide as a crosslinker and ammonium persulfate as an initiator in an aqueous solution. The superabsorbent composites were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The effect of the relative weight ratio of SH to O‐MMT on the water absorbency was studied, and the results indicated that the best water absorbency of 591 g/g in distilled water was obtained when an O‐MMT content of 20 wt % and an SH content of 30 wt % were incorporated. The superabsorbent composite possessed a good capacity for water retention; even after 30 days, 24.4 wt % of water could still be saved by the sand soil containing 1.0 wt % superabsorbent composite. The results from this study show that the water absorbency of a superabsorbent composite is improved by the simultaneous introduction of O‐MMT and SH into a PAA‐AM network in comparison with the incorporation of only O‐MMT or SH. Also, in comparison with PAA‐AM/MMT/SH, an appropriate amount of O‐MMT can benefit the developed composites with respect to their water absorbency, salt resistance, and capacity for water retention in sand soil. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and properties of a novel superabsorbent polymer composite from microwave irradiated waste material cultured Auricularia auricula and poly (acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide)

A novel superabsorbent polymer composite was successfully synthesized from waste material cultured Auricularia auricula (WMCAA) and poly (acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide) (P(AA‐co‐AM)) using microwave irradiation. Optimal synthesis conditions were determined by investigating the water absorbency of the superabsorbent composite. The effects associated with weight ratios of WMCAA, acrylamide (AM) monomers, initiators, and acrylic acid (AA) crosslinkers, as well as the degree of neutralization of AA were examined. The maximum water absorbencies were found to be 1548 g/g (distilled water) and 72 g/g (0.9% NaCl solution). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was applied to determine the molecular structure of the superabsorbent composite, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to demonstrate the characteristic compact and porous structure of the material. Further studies conducted via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the formation of a novel interpenetrating polymer network structure. Thermogravimetry/differential thermal (TG/DTG) analysis demonstrated improved thermal stability in the composite material compared with WMCAA. Additionally, high water absorption rates observed in the polymer during the swelling process indicated first‐order kinetics. The water absorption and adsorption of the superabsorbent composite were studied in a variety of fertilizer solutions, revealing an indirect relationship between water absorbing ability and fertilizer concentration. Conversely, a direct relationship was observed between absorbed fertilizer and fertilizer concentration. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 3674–3681, 2013     

Synthesis and swelling characteristics of a pH‐responsive guar gum‐g‐poly(sodium acrylate)/medicinal stone superabsorbent composite

A series of pH‐responsive superabsorbent composites were synthesized by the free‐radical grafting copolymerization of natural guar gum (GG), partially neutralized acrylic acid (NaA), and medicinal stone (MS) using ammonium persulfate (APS) as the initiator and N,N′‐methylene‐bis‐acrylamide (MBA) as the crosslinker. The structure, surface morphologies, and thermal stability of the developed composites were characterized by FTIR spectra, SEM, and TGA techniques, respectively. The effects of various saline, surfactant, and dye solutions on swelling properties were investigated, and the pH‐responsivity was also evaluated. Results indicated that NaA had been grafted onto GG macromolecular chains and MS participated in the polymerization reaction. The incorporation of MS obviously improved the surface structure, thermal stability, water absorption capacity, and rate. Multivalent saline, cationic surfactant, and dye showed more remarkable effect on the water absorption than did monovalent or anionic ones. The composites showed excellent responsive properties and reversible On–Off switching characteristics in various pH buffer solutions, which provided great possibility to extend the application domain of the superabsorbent composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 2011. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Poly(acrylamide‐co‐vinyl alcohol)—Superabsorbent materials reinforced by modified clay

A series of copolymeric superabsorbent materials comprising polyacrylamide (PAM), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) reinforced with variable wt% of modified clay were prepared. The copolymer/clay composite was characterized by Fourier transformed infrared, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The water absorbencies of poly(acrylamide‐co‐vinyl alcohol)/clay composites were measured by calculating their percentage swelling ratio. The effects of copolymerization, type of clay, and clay content on the water absorbencies were studied. The swelling was measured in acidic, alkaline, and saline condition to ensure its versatility. The results indicated a remarkable increase in swelling ratio by incorporation of modified clay having higher hydrophilicity and optimum clay loading. The poly(acrylamide‐co‐vinyl alcohol)/clay composite hydrogel was found to have better re‐swelling ability and water retention capacity compared to the virgin copolymer. The substantial enhancement of swelling properties enables the superabsorbent poly(acrylamide‐co‐vinyl alcohol)/clay suitable for agricultural and horticultural application. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:1794–1800, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Preparation and characterization of triple polymer‐coated controlled‐release urea with water‐retention property and enhanced durability

Triple polymer coated with controlled‐release water retention fertilizer (TCWF) and enhanced mechanical property was developed by coating polyethylene (first layer), poly (acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide) superabsorbent (second layer), and poly (butyl methacrylate) (third layer) consecutively on the granule core urea in the fluidized‐bed coater. The inner layer possessed controlled‐release property, the middle layer had water absorbent characteristic, and the thin outer layer aimed to protect the fragile layer of the superabsorbent. The relationship between the thickness of coating layer and the nutrient releasing properties was established. The effects of polymerization parameters on the water absorbency of the superabsorbent were studied and optimized as well. The nutrients release behaviors of this triple‐coated urea in both water and soil were investigated and compared. The results showed that TCWF not only performed as a good controlled‐release fertilizer but also had excellent water retention capacity. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Synthesis,swelling behaviors,and slow‐release characteristics of a guar gum‐g‐poly(sodium acrylate)/sodium humate superabsorbent

Superabsorbents used in agricultural and ecological projects with low‐cost, slow‐release fertilizers and environmentally friendly characteristics have been extensively studied. The use of a natural polymer as the matrix and then further polymerization with some functional material has become the preferred method. In this work, with natural guar gum (GG), partially neutralized acrylic acid, and sodium humate (SH) as the raw materials, ammonium persulfate as the initiator, and N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as the crosslinker, GG‐g‐poly(sodium acrylate) (PNaA)/SH superabsorbents were synthesized through a solution polymerization reaction and were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The effects of the SH content and MBA concentration on the water absorbency were investigated. The results showed that the introduction of SH into the GG‐g‐PNaA system could improve the water absorbency, swelling rate, pH‐resistant property, and reswelling capability, and the superabsorbent containing 15 wt % SH had the highest water absorbency of 532 g/g of sample in distilled water and 62 g/g of sample in a 0.9 wt % NaCl solution. The slow release in water and water retention in sandy soil tests revealed that the superabsorbent could act as a fertilizer as well as an effective water‐saving material for agricultural applications. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Utilization of starch and montmorrilonite for the preparation of superabsorbent nanocomposite

Starch and montmorrilonite (MMT) were used as raw materials for synthesizing starch‐graft‐poly[acrylamide (AM)–acrylic acid (AA)]/MMT superabsorbent nanocomposite by graft and intercalation copolymerization reaction of starch, AM, and AA in the presence of organic MMT micropowder in aqueous solution. Major factors affecting water absorbency such as weight ratio of monomers to starch, weight ratio of AM to AA, neutralization degree of AA, amount of crosslinker, initiator, and MMT were investigated. The superabsorbent nanocomposite synthesized under optimal synthesis conditions exhibits absorption of 1120 g H₂O/g sample and 128 g H₂O/g sample in deionized water and in 0.9 wt % NaCl solution, respectively. IR spectra showed that the graft copolymerization between  OH groups on MMT and monomers took place during the reaction, and that crystal interlayer was pulled open in the superabsorbent nanocomposite. X‐ray diffraction analysis showed that the crystal interlayer of MMT was pulled open to 2.73 nm, and thus formed nanometer exfoliation composite material. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that starch‐graft‐poly (AM–AA) superabsorbent nanocomposite (8 wt % MMT) has good thermal stability. This superabsorbent nanocomposite with excellent water absorbency and water retention, being biodegradable in nature, economical and environment friendly, could be especially useful in industry, agricultural, and horticultural applications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Undesirable effects of heating on hydrogels

Heating is the most conventional drying method for removing water from as‐synthesized hydrogels in laboratory and industry. In this article, the effects of the heating temperature (60–200°C) and time (10 min–24 h) on swelling properties of highly absorbent hydrogels based on 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), acrylic acid (AA), potassium acrylate (KA), and acrylamide (AM) were studied. Crosslinkers methylene bisacrylamide (MBA) and poly(ethyleneglycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) were used in the syntheses. Depending on the hydrogel structural composition and its drying temperature and time, the swelling capacities were extremely changed. Generally, AA‐, KA‐, and AM‐based hydrogels showed more hydrolytic‐thermal stability than the corresponding AMPS‐based hydrogels. MBA‐crosslinked hydrogels generally exhibited higher vulnerability against heating. Swelling of PEGDMA‐crosslinked poly(AM‐KA‐AA) hydrogel was greatly increased after heating, whereas its analogousAM‐free sample exhibited huge loss of swelling. PEGDMA‐crosslinked poly(AMPS) samples also exhibited swelling reduction after drying. Rheological studies showed that the storage modulus was highly reduced (～ 5200 Pa) after heating of MBA‐crosslinked poly(AMPS) hydrogels, which reconfirmed the crosslink cleavage. Mechanistic discussions were proposed for the thermal‐induced swelling changes. It was concluded that the chemical nature of both crosslinker and monomer must be taken into consideration to choose the temperature and time of the hydrogel drying. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Swelling study of superabsorbent PAA‐co‐PAM/clay nanohydrogel

A series of superabsorbent composites were prepared from acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide (AM), and Cloisite® 30B by aqueous solution polymerization technique using ammonium peroxodisulfate (APS) as initiator. The interaction of the organically modified nanoclay with PAA‐co‐PAM copolymer was verified by FTIR, whereas the morphology of the composite was studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The water absorbency in deionized water and saline water of the synthesized nanohydrogels was measured by calculating their percentage swelling ratio. The effects of copolymerization, monomer ratio, clay content, and temperature on the water absorbency were studied. The results indicated a considerable increase in swelling ratio by proper monomer proportion and incorporation of optimum clay percentage into the copolymer matrix. It was found that the nanohydrogel acquired highest water absorbency with 2% clay loading. The reswelling ability and water retention capacity of the PAA‐co‐PAM hydrogel and PAA‐co‐PAM/clay nanohydrogel were also measured. The water absorbency was found to increase after each reswelling for which it may be useful as recyclable superabsorbent material. The results of water retention capacity of the nanohydrogel were also encouraging and find application in agriculture, especially in drought‐prone areas. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Preparation and properties of a degradable interpenetrating polymer networks based on starch with water retention,amelioration of soil,and slow release of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer

In this study, we aimed to develop a degradable nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) fertilizer with properties of slow release, water retention, and remediation of saline soil; the nitrogen and phosphorus was coated with starch/poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide) [poly(AA‐co‐AM)] superabsorbent (SAAmF) by reverse suspension radical copolymerization. The variable influences on the water absorbency were investigated and optimized. The results of the structure and morphology characterization of SAAmF show that poly(AA‐co‐AM) was grafted partly from the chain of starch, and the different contents of starch brought about a difference in the size of the three‐dimensional net hole of the coating polymer. The property of water retention, the behaviors of slow release of nutrient, and the degradation of the SAAmF were evaluated, respectively, and the results revealed that the water transpiration ratio of soil with SAAmF was lower by approximately 8 percentage points than that of the blank test, about 60% nutrient was released from SAAmF by the 30th day, and 32 wt % of SAAmF with a content of starch of 20% was degraded after 55 days. Moreover, a considerable decrease in the conductivity was observed, which revealed a sharp reduction in the concentration of residual ions for the soil mixed with SAAmF. It may be inferred from these that the product seems to be a promising vehicle for the management of soils, including saline soils. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Synthesis and evaluation of trimethylolpropane triacrylate crosslinked superabsorbent polymers for conserving water and fertilizers

A series of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) were synthesized by free radical thermal copolymerization of acrylic acid and N‐isopropyl acrylamide monomers using trimethylolpropane triacrylate as crosslinker. They were characterized by FT‐IR and thermal stability (TGA/DTG), and evaluated for their water and fertilizer uptake and release characteristics under different crosslinker levels, temperature, pressure, and pH. The observed maximum absorption of water by the SAP was 1130 g/g of polymer. The release was modeled which showed a non‐Fickian mechanism. The water uptake of SAP was correlated with the average molecular weight between the crosslinks and crosslink density. Analysis of the weight loss data from TG in air revealed a zero order kinetics for the initial degradation step with an activation energy (AE) of 70.8 kJ/mol. The AEs for water uptake and release for thermal degradation were also determined through Arrhenius plots. The results inferred that the synthesized SAP can be exploited for commercial agricultural applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Synthesis of novel superabsorbing copolymers for agricultural and horticultural applications

A series of novel superabsorbent copolymers (SAPs) based on monomers acrylamide, calcium acrylate and sodium acrylate have been prepared using ammonium persulfate as initiator and N,N‐methylene‐bis‐acrylamide (MBA) as crosslinking agent; the monomer concentration, MBA concentration and initiator concentration were varied. The experimental results show that the SAPs have good absorbency both in water and NaCl solutions. The copolymers were characterized by IR spectroscopy. Water retention in soil is enhanced by use of these superabsorbents. The effect of SAPs on the growth of bean plants is reported. SAPs may be of use as water management materials for agricultural and horticultural purposes in desert and drought‐prone areas. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Improving properties of superabsorbent composite induced by using alkaline protease hydrolyzed‐sericin (APh‐sericin)

A series of superabsorbent polymer composites based on sericin hydrolyzed with alkaline protease (AP) were prepared by grafting with acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM). The properties of the superabsorbent polymers (SAP) by using hydrolyzed sericin with different amount of alkaline protease (nAPh‐sericin) were compared. It was found that the polymer prepared from 5APh‐sericin (the mass ratio of AP to sericin was 5.0 mg g⁻¹) showed the highest graft percentage and water absorbency, this phenomenon may be attributed to the change of molecular weight of resulting sericin molecules. The molecular structure of the grafted polymers was proved by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements. Comparing with PAA‐AM (poly AA‐co‐AM) and 0APh‐sericin/PAA‐AM polymer, 5APh‐sericin/PAA‐AM polymer had the most excellent water retention capacity and enzyme degradability. The morphological features of the polymers with different drying methods were evidenced by SEM images. The water absorbencies of 5APh‐sericin/PAA‐AM polymer prepared with freeze‐drying were 896 g g⁻¹ in deionized water, 424 g g⁻¹ in tap water, and 83 g g⁻¹ in 0.9 wt% aqueous NaCl solution. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:509–515, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis of poly(AA‐co‐AM) superabsorbent composites by reinforcement of halloysite nanotubes

A novel poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide)/halloysite nanotubes [PAA‐AM/HNTs] superabsorbent composite was synthesized by free radical polymerization with using HNTs as an inorganic additive. The composite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and thermogravimetric analysis. The results revealed that HNTs and PAA‐AM were combined well together to form a porous structure with a pore size of about 10 μm, and HNTs were uniformly distributed in the composite. The thermal stability was improved by adding HNTs in the composite. The influences of contents of initiator and halloysite, neutralization degree of AA, and molar ratio of AM to AA on water absorbency were investigated. The water absorbency and the water retention capacity were improved after adding HNTs into PAA‐AM. The composite containing 10% HNTs had the highest water absorbency of 1276 g/g in distilled water. Moreover, PAA‐AM/HNTs composite also had a high swelling rate within 60 min and could maintain 78% initial swelling capability after five reswelled test. The substantial enhancement of swelling properties enables PAA‐AM/HNTs suitable for numerous practical applications. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:229–236, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis and water absorbency of crosslinked superabsorbent polymers

A series of novel copolymer superabsorbents based on monomer acrylamide (AM), potassium methacrylate (KMA), and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) were prepared by copolymerization using ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator and N,N‐methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinking agent. The synthetic variables (the monomer concentration, crosslinker concentration, and initiator concentration) were also studied. The experimental results of superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) show a better absorbency in both water and NaCl solutions. The copolymers were characterized by IR spectroscopy. The water retention in the soil was enhanced using the above superabsorbents. The use of SAPs for the growth of groundnut plants was also investigated. SAPs can be considered for water‐managing materials for agriculture and horticulture purposes in desert and drought‐prone areas. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 1795–1801, 2002