Modified corn stalk carboxymethyl cellulose, acrylic acid and SBA‐15 based composite hydrogel used for agricultural water retention

Abstract SBA‐15 is successfully incorporated into a composite superabsorbent hydrogel polymer (SAHP) by in situ graft polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) on a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) backbone using SBA‐15 as a filler. The structure and properties of the SAHPs are studied in detail by means of a variety of characterization methods, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. And the effects of the originating mate‐rials (such as SBA‐15, initiator, cross‐linker, ratio of CMC to AA, and neutralization of AA) and pH on the water absorption properties are discussed. The obtained results show that the introduction of SBA‐15 have significant effect on the intrinsic structure of the superabsorbent. Importantly, the composite SAHP exhibit higher thermal stability and significant swelling as well as water retention capacity. The prepared SAHP show good sensitivity to various surfactant solutions, which not only have water retention applications in agriculture but also show potential applications in the field of biomaterials.