High Performance Polysodium Acrylate Superabsorbents Utilizing Microfibrillated Cellulose to Augment Gel Properties
Journal article, 2010

Microfibrillated cellulose was utilized at low concentrations as a filler material, added prior to free radical polymerization, in cross-linked superabsorbent polysodium acrylate hydrogels. The effect of microfibrillated cellulose concentration on equilibrium swelling, shear modulus after synthesis, and shear modulus at equilibrium swelling was studied at different degree of cross-linking. For the characterization of the microfibrillated cellulose optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmittance analysis were used. The shear modulus of the samples was determined using uniaxial compression analysis. The swelling of the gels was determined using classical gravimetrical measurements. It was found that microfibrillated cellulose was highly efficient in increasing the shear modulus of the gels. Furthermore, the microfibrillated cellulose was found to have the same effect on the swelling and shear modulus at equilibrium swelling as the same mass of the conventional covalent cross-linker N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA), while in fact improving the fracture resistance of the gels. In conclusion, microfibrillated cellulose shows great potential as an additive to enhance the performance of soft materials.

rheological properties

Superabsorbents

properties

polymer networks

behaviors

elastic-modulus

MFC

hydrogels

rayleigh-scattering

Hydrogels

nanocomposite gels

reinforcement

swelling

composites

Author

Mikael Larsson

SuMo Biomaterials

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Pharmaceutical Technology

Mats Stading

Chalmers, Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Polymeric Materials and Composites

Anette Larsson

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Pharmaceutical Technology

SuMo Biomaterials

Soft Materials

1539-445X (ISSN)

Vol. 8 3 207-225

Subject Categories

Materials Engineering

Areas of Advance

Materials Science

DOI

10.1080/1539445X.2010.495613

More information

Latest update

8/18/2020