Sago starch was incorporated in the synthesis of polymer gel networks by
free radical crosslinking copolymerization in an aqueous solution using potassium
persulfate as an initiator. Three different monomers (2-acrylamido-2-
methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS), acrylic acid and methyl-2-acrylamido-2-
methoxyacetate (MAMOA)) with a common crosslinking agent (N,N'-
methylenebisacrylamide (NMBA)) were used to synthesize these gel networks. A
series of studies was carried out to evaluate and optimize the effect of the reaction
parameters such as the amount of the monomer, the cross linking agent and sago
starch as well as liquor volume on the polymer gel networks yield. It was found
that the percentages of gelation fraction and total conversion were dependent on
these parameters.
The swelling behaviors of these polymeric gel networks from the dry state
In distilled water and NaCl solutions of different concentration were also
investigated. The maximum saturated water absorbency of 440 g H₂O/g dry gel
was obtained for the gel network prepared from 1 g sago starch, 38.16 x l0⁻³ mol
AMPS and 1.29 x l0⁻³ mol NMBA in the presence of 45 mL liquor volume. The
absorbency of the hydrogel networks in the salt solutions was affected by the salt
concentrations and the charge number of cations and anions
