Sintesis Superabsorben melalui Kopolimerisasi Pencangkokan Asam Akrilat pada Onggok Dialdehida

Abstract

Cassava waste pulp (onggok) is a residual pulp obtained from starch industry. The purpose of this study is to modify the pulp through oxidation with NaIO4 followed by grafting and crosslinking copolymerization to obtain superabsorbent polymer (SAP). The carbonyl content measurement was utilized to determine the optimum condition for oxidation. Oxidation with 0.05 M NaIO4 for 1 hour and subsequent acetone washing solution gave the best result. Grafting and crosslinking of acrylic acid on the pulp backbone were performed with N,N’- methylene-bis-acrylamide as crosslinker and ammonium peroxidisulfate as the initiator. The synthesis was carried out at 70–75 ºC for 3 hours, then the water absorptive capacity of the copolymer products were determined. Water absorptive capacity of SAP was 893.22 g/g in 24 hours. The maximum absorptive capacity of SAP in solutions with pH ranging from 2 to 11 was 915.26 g/g at pH 9, whereas the maximum absorptive capacity in salt solutions were obtained at 0.01 M NaCl, namely 137.42 g/g.