Abstract

A superabsorbent hydrogel (SAH) can absorb and retain water weighing more than a hundred times of their dry weight because of their three-dimensional hydrophilic structure. To fabricate an SAH, itaconic acid (IA) and vinyl sulfonic acid (VSA) were subjected to radical polymerization in an aqueous solution, wherein IA and VSA were neutralized, and then, a crosslinker and a thermal initiator were added in sequence. The structure of poly(IA-co-VSA) was characterized using attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. We also studied the changes in the absorption properties of the SAH composites according to the polymerization temperature, degree of neutralization, type and content of the initiator used, and type and content of the crosslinker used. Thus, we could determine the effects of some synthetic factors on the absorption properties of the SAH.

Keywords: superabsorbent hydrogel;itaconic acid;crosslinker;centrifuge retention capacity;absorbency under load;absorption properties