Utilization of textile loomwaste as a highly absorbent polymer through graft co-polymerization

Loom waste from cotton textile mills, containing starch ( 30%) and cotton cellulose ( 70%) was utilized as a starting raw material for synthesizing a product called ‘Loomwaste-g-poly(AN)’ using a free radical initiation technique. Major factors affecting polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN), KMnO4, nitric acid, reaction time and temperature of polymerization reaction were studied. The product was saponified by boiling it in aqueous NaOH to obtain hydrolysed Loomwaste-g-poly(AN), which is an excellent water absorbent. Saline solution (0.9% NaCl) absorbency was also studied in order to utilize the product in marine fields. The results indicated that this new approach showed promise in utilizing such waste in the production of useful products, which are eco-friendly, biodegradable and could also minimize the disposal problems of the textile industry.