Superabsorbent nanocomposite (alginate-g-PAMPS/MMT): synthesis, characterization and swelling behavior.

A superabsorbent composite (alginate-g-PAMPS/MMT) was prepared by graft copolymerization from alginate, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) and Na+ montmorillonite (MMT) in an inert atmosphere. Effects of polymerization variables on water absorbency, including the content of Na+ montmorillonite, sodium alginate, N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide and AMPS, were studied. The introduced montmorillonite formed a loose and porous surface and improved the water absorbency of the alginate-g-PAMPS/MMT superabsorbent composite. Swelling behaviors of the superabsorbent composites in various cationic salt solutions (NaCl, CaCl2 and FeCl3) and anionic salt solutions (NaCl and Na2SO4) were also systematically investigated. The superabsorbent composite was further characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), rheology, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) taking alginate-g-PAMPS as a reference.