Synthesis of corn starch–acrylic acid hydrogel and investigation of properties

In the world, water resources are gradually decreasing, it is important to develop materials that absorb and store water. This need arises especially in agriculture and food. Recently, the synthesis of biodegradable, biocompatible hydrogels have been investigated in nature due to the waste generated by synthetic hydrogels in the environment. In this study, it was aimed to obtain SAP (Super Absorbent Polymer) hydrogels from corn starch by changing the physicochemical properties of corn starch. Potassium persulfate as the initiator by graft copolymerization of acrylic acid and corn starch chains without crosslinking the biodegradable superabsorbent polymers (SAP) were synthesized. The hydrogels were synthesized with acrylic acid / starch (A / N) ratios of 0,25-0,50-0,75-1,00-1,50. The water absorbtion capacity of the hydrogels due to the increased acrylic acid ratios was determined gravimetrically. At the same time, the chemical structure of the obtained hydrogels was characterized by Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and their morphological features were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The water absorption capacity of hydrogels was found to be 11.36 g water / g sample and the highest rate was 354.42 g water / g sample. As the ratio of acrylic acid in hydrogel composition increased, water absorption capacity increased. According to FTIR spectra and SEM images, acrylic acid was successfully inoculated on corn starch. As a result, Starch-g-PAA superabsorbent polymers using corn starch and acrylic acid are synthesized and thought to be used in applications such as agriculture, food.