Inverse Suspension Polymerization of Partially Neutralized and Lightly Cross‐Linked Acrylic Acid: Effect of Reaction Parameters

Abstract An inverse suspension polymerization was carried out in laboratory in one Liter Buchi glass reactor to produce superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) based on acrylic monomers for hygiene applications. Strongly water absorbing polymers, based on acrylic acid, sodium acrylate were prepared by copolymerization using potassium per sulfate as initiator and N‐N′ methylene‐bisacrylamide (MBA) as crosslinking agent. The effect of varying monomer, crosslinker, initiator, dispersant concentration, time of reaction and degree of neutralization, on absorption capacities was investigated. In the present studies, the continuous hydrocarbon phase was taken as 50:50 mixture of n‐heptane and cyclohexane (aliphatic‐alicyclic) because the availability of crosslinker in the aqueous phase is controlled by the partition coefficient of the crosslinker between the aqueous phase and the continuous hydrocarbon phase. The SAPs were evaluated for their free absorption capacities in distilled water, saline (0.9% NaCl), and also absorption under load (AUL). The experimental results show that these SAPs have good absorbency both in water and NaCl solutions. It was observed that SAP synthesized from acrylic acid with about 70% degree of neutralization, containing 1% cross‐linker, and 0.5–1.0% initiator concentration with 10% dispersant exhibited absorption capacities in water, saline and AUL as 220 g/g, 70 g/g and 27 g/g respectively.