Studies on guar gum and cellulose acetate superabsorbent hydrogel beads with high water retention properties for rejuvenation of dryland wettability

Abstract

The guar gum-polyethylene glycol (GG-PEG) and cellulose acetate-polyethylene glycol (CA-PEG) hydrogel beads have been synthesized using crosslinking agent polyethylene glycol with drop cast method. The newly fabricated beads have been characterized by FTIR, FESEM, TGA and swelling studies. Water retention, water holding, and soil porosity tests have been conducted on both hydrogel beads. The results showed that the swelling ratios for GG-PEG and CA-PEG were 350 g/g and 250 g/g, respectively. At high pressures, GG-PEG retained 20% more water than untreated soil, whereas CA-PEG retained 17.5%. The soil's water-holding capacity improved to 16.05% when treated with GG-PEG, compared to 9.69% with CA-PEG. The porosity of soil increased to 69.45% in the case of GG-PEG hydrogel beads and 65.17% in the case of CA-PEG when compared to untreated soil. The biodegradable studies of the hydrogel beads showed that GG-PEG was more susceptible to degradability since it was a natural polymer. As a result, GG-PEG is more efficient than CA-PEG, and this study demonstrates how natural polymers may be employed as superabsorbents to improve soil qualities by serving as conditioners.