Synthesis and Water Absorbency of Superabsorbent Copolymers

Superabsorbent copolymers (SAPs) based on the monomers acrylamide, calcium acrylate, and potassium acrylate were prepared by copolymerization using ammonium persulfate (APS) as initiator and N , N '-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBA) as cross-linking agent. The copolymers were synthesized by varying monomer, cross-linker, and initiator concentrations. The experimental results show that SAPs have good absorbency both in water and NaCl solutions. The copolymers were characterized by IR spectroscopy. The water retention capacity of the SAPs was carried out at 60 and 100C.