Synthesis and swelling behaviors of microcrystal muscovite composite superabsorbent by photopolymerization

Abstract

A new microcrystal muscovite composite superabsorbent was synthesized by UV photopolymerization using 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone (1 173) as photoinitiator, N, N-methylene bisacrylamide(MBA) as crosslinker, acrylic acid (AA), acrylamide (AM) and sodium 4-styrenesulfonate (SSS) as comonomers. Factors affecting water and salt absorption of the microcrystal muscovite composite superabsorbent, such as crosslinker amount, microcrystal muscovite concentration, photoinitiator content, and SSS concentration, were systematically studied. Water retention capacity of the composite superabsorbent was also investigated. The results show that microcrystal muscovite composite superabsorbent has water absorbency of 550 g/g, salt absorbency of 62 g/g, and water retention of 60% after heating at 70 °C for 40 h. The microcrystal muscovite is physically combined into the polymeric network without destroying its polycrystalline structure and the surface of the microcrystal muscovite composite superabsorbent has some deep and small holes.

Keywords

microcrystal muscovite / superabsorbent / photopolymerization / photoinitiator

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