Super-absorbent polymers from starch-polyacrylonitrile graft copolymers by acid hydrolysis before saponification

Graft copolymers (SPAN) of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) onto starch were prepared from gelatinized starch varieties with ammonium ceric nitrate as an initiator. The molecular weight of the PAN branches increased for the varieties of starches in the order high amylose maize starch < maize starch < waxy maize starch. SPAN samples were saponified with aqueous NaOH, and the aqueous solution of the resulting polymer (HSPAN) was cast into film in a forced-air oven at 35°C. The water absorbency of the HSPAN film formed from waxy maize starch was the highest (1200 g H₂O (g dry sample)^?1) and that from high amylose maize starch was the lowest (530 g g^?1). SPAN samples from maize starch were partially hydrolyzed with dilute hydrochloric acid. The resulting polyacrylonitriles with low molecular weight starch end groups (LSPAN) were also saponified. The resulting saponified product (HLSPAN) was cast into film. The absorbencies of HLSPAN films were found to be far larger (up to 6000 g g^?1) than those of the corresponding HSPAN films. The absorbency increased with increasing molecular weight of PAN in the initial SPAN up to a molecular weight of 1?1·5 × 10⁶. The absorbency decreased significantly when HSPAN and HLSPAN films were subjected to heat treatment at 135°C or above. The crosslinks present in HSPAN and HLSPAN films prepared at 35°C and those formed during heat treatment were considered to have different structures: the former formed between carbohydrate alkoxide ions and nitrile groups at the early stages of saponification and the latter formed between carbohydrate and copoly(acrylate-acrylamide) chains and/or between copoly(acrylate-acrylamide) chains.