화학공학소재연구정보센터
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol.59, No.32, 14234-14241, 2020
Esterified Polysaccharide Composites that Display Super Absorbency from Highly Favorable Hydrogen and Ionic Interactions
The aim of the current research is to develop super absorbent materials from wood-pulp-based materials for the replacement of petroleum-based super absorbent hygienic products. The effect of citric concentration, sodium hypophosphite, reaction time, and temperature on percent carboxyl content of modified bleached hardwood pulp was analyzed. The modified pulp was complexed with chitosan to engineer a super absorbent hydrogel foam. Characterization of the modified bleached hardwood pulp and its hydrogel foams included chemical, structural, water and urine absorption, and salt uptake analyses. The modified bleached hardwood pulp and modified bleached hardwood pulp-chitosan foam can absorb up to 25 and 62 g of a urine per gram and up to 16 and 43 g of water per gram, respectively. The urine absorption of modified bleached hardwood pulp-chitosan foam was about 41% higher than commercial absorbent sodium polyacrylates. However, the modified bleached hardwood pulp and modified bleached hardwood pulp-chitosan composite foam also can uptake 0.2 and 1.3 g per gram of salt, respectively, and can be used to remove salt from brackish water. These significant levels of urine and salt absorption indicate that the modified bleached hardwood pulp-chitosan foam can be used as an alternative petroleum-based commercial supper absorbent (SPA) in a hygienic product.