Abstract
A novel poly(acrylic acid)/modified bentonite superabsorbent polymer (SAP) was synthesized through chemical crosslinking by a polymerization technique in a complete aqueous environment. This SAP was fabricated effectively by dispersing modified bentonite in a monomeric solution, using N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide as crosslinker and ammonium persulfate as initiator. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectral analysis showed that the XG chains had intercalated into bentonite sheets. The influence of crosslinking density and XG content were investigated. Results showed modified bentonite not only effectively increases water absorbency, but also improves water retention ability. This can be further used as a carrier matrix for the development of a drug delivery system.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the authority of Gupta College of Technological Sciences, Asansol, West Bengal, India, for providing necessary facilities for this work.
Declaration of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.
Notes
(MBA = N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide and m-B = modified bentonite).