SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF SUPERABSORBENT COPOLYMER OF ACRYLIC ACID, ACRYLAMIDE AND KONJAC GLUCOMANNAN POLYSACCHARIDE

Abstract

The research was focused on synthesis and investigation of swelling behavior of konjac glucomannan (KGM)-based superabsorbent prepared by free radical graft copolymerization of acrylic acid and acrylamide onto polysaccharide in the presence of potassium persulfate as an initiator and N,N´-methylene bisacrylamide as a cross-linking agent. The swelling properties of KGM-g-poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide) hydrogels were studied, such as swelling ratios in water and solutions of selected compounds, the rate of swelling and drying, the dependence of swelling ratio on the number of swelling cycles. Moreover, the water retention of the copolymer in soils was investigated.