Synthesis and biodegradability of starch-g-ethyl methacrylate/ sodium acrylate/sodium silicate superabsorbing composite

A new superabsorbent composite polymer (SAP) has been prepared by graft copolymerization reaction using starch, ethyl methacrylate (EMA), benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as initiator and sodium acrylate as crosslinking agent. Further, it is observed that the composite doped with sodium silicate exhibits higher waterabsorbency as the silicate can well disperse in the water and enter into the network structure of the composite, thereby increasing the porosity of the composite. Sodium acrylate plays an important role as the crosslinker forming a network structure of the superabsorbent composite. The composite was characterized by IR, TGA, and XRD methods. The biodegradability of these valuable novel materials was evaluated for their industrial and commercial importance. The surface morphology was compared by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after biodegradation of the composite.