Abstract

A novel chitosan-g-poly (acrylic acid)/kaolin (CTS-g-PAA/kaolin) superabsorbent composite was prepared by graft polymerization among chitosan (CTS), acrylic acid (AA) and kaolin in aqueous solution. Effects of polymerization variables, including the content of the weight ratio of crosslinker, initiator, kaolin and CTS to AA, on water absorbency were studied. The results from FT-IR spectra showed that CTS and kaolin participate in graft polymerization reaction with AA. Results indicated that the superabsorbent composite possessed excellent absorbency properties, using 0.3 % K₂S₂O₈ as initiator and 0.05 % N, N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as crosslinking agent, when the neutralization degree of AA was 70 %, and the ratio of CTS and kaolin to AA was 0.13 and 0.13, respectively.

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