Synthesis, Applications and Swelling Properties of Poly (Sodium Acrylate-Coacrylamide) Based Superabsorbent Hydrogels

Superabsorbent hydrogels constitute a group of polymeric materials with three-dimensional network structure, which can swell to absorb an enormous amount of water or aqueous solutions. This property enables various commercial applications of hydrogels such as water holding capability in agriculture and superabsorbent material for baby diapers. Several novel superabsorbent hydrogels based on acrylic acid-co-acrylamide copolymers were synthesized under variation of copolymer compositions through free radical polymerization. N,N’methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) was used as a water soluble crosslinker and potassium persulphate (KPS) as an initiator. Effect of varying the copolymer composition, change in crosslinker concentration, and effect of environmental parameters (pH, temperature, and ion concentration) on both swelling capacity and swelling rate were examined. These gel shows maximum swelling at neutral pH-7, whereas increasing salt concentration in water decrease the swelling capacity. It was found interesting that an increase in crosslinker concentration from 0.020% to 0.16%, the swelling capacity decreases up to 70% while the swelling rate increases from 0.007g water/g dry hydrogel sec to 0.024g water/g dry hydrogel sec, respectively because there is a compromise exists between entropic spring forces between network connection points and the hydrostatic pressure of the water diffusing into the gels. Dynamic swelling curve obtained were fitted to the three different kinetic models namely Peleg’s kinetic model, pseudo 1st order as proposed by Lagergen and pseudo 2nd order kinetics. All these models provided a good agreement with the experimental data; However on the bases of statistical parameters (RMSE, R2 and X2) the Peleg’s model was selected as the most appropriate model for this study. Analyzing rate constant for Peleg’s models at different swelling temperatures disclosed that increasing temperature could only increase the swelling rate without affecting the swelling capacity of the hydrogels. Experimental values for rate constant k1 of Peleg’s model at different temperature shows a sharp decrease from 0.57545 at 30 oC to 0.1535 at 75 oC that contemplated the rate of swelling at 75 oC was 65% faster than that of 30 oC. The diffusion mechanisms in hydrogels were proven to be tailorable by increasing cross-linker concentration and temperature, leading towards the Fickian type diffusion behavior. The synthesized superabsorbent hydrogels were also tested for water retention applications in agriculture.