New Super‐Absorbing Hydrogel Hybrids from Gum Arabic and Acrylic Monomers

Abstract

Novel super‐absorbing hydrogel hybrids composing arabic gum (AG) and acrylamide (AM)/acrylic acid (AA)‐potassium acrylate (AK) were prepared using a highly practical, homogenous solution polymerization process, conducted under normal atmospheric conditions. The unique characteristics of the gum and the redox pair initiating system (persufate/metabisulfite) favored the crosslinking polymerization, run under concentrated conditions without a need to heat. To produce hydrogel hybrids having the highest gel content and the highest swelling capacity, the preparative process was systematically studied through investigation of the certain reaction variables, i.e., the concentration of AG, initiator, crosslinker, monomer, and AM/AA‐AK mole ratio. The spectral and thermal characteristics of the optimally prepared hydrogel were studied using FTIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively.