The development of biocomposites using renewable resources is a cost-effective and long-term solution to environmental and resource issues. Hydrogels [Poly Sodium Acrylate (PSA)] were created by variable percentages of crosslinker concentration, and banana–cellulose microfibril (CMF) was used as a filler in this study for better reinforcement. When the concentration of crosslinker is increased, the number of covalent crosslinks increases, limiting the movement of water molecules and lowering the diffusion coefficient, equilibrium water content, the initial rate of swelling, and the theoretical equilibrium swelling ratio. The swelling behaviour of reinforced PSA with high concentrations of CMF was unexpected; the hydrophilic OH groups of CMF increase the diffusion of water molecules from the swelling medium to inside the PSA, allowing for better mechanical behaviour of gels without sacrificing the swelling response. The swelling behaviour and swelling exponent of a hydrogel were determined at various temperatures, pH levels, and physiological fluid models. The swelling exponent's maximum value was discovered to be 0.5, which suggests that the hydrogel's water diffusion was non-Fickian in nature. The swelling ratio was found to rise with rising temperature and to have a lower value than that at room temperature. It was also proven that elevating the pH of the medium from 1 to 7 improved the PSA/CMF hydrogels' swelling response. The swelling behaviour of PSA/CMF hydrogels was also investigated as the concentration of CMF rose from 0.2 to 1%. The equilibrium water content, swelling kinetics, and water transport mechanisms were all investigated. The Flory–Rehner equation was applied to determine crosslinking density, polymer mesh size, and molecular weight between crosslinks.

본 연구에서는 3차원 네트워크 폴리아크릴산나트륨 겔의 가교환경을 변화시켜 기계적 강도 및 팽윤거동을 제어하고 그 물성을 평가하는 연구를 진행하였다. 일반적으로 겔 용액의 가교도가 증가함에 따라 3차원 네트워크 겔의 팽윤비는 감소하고 겔의 기계적 강도는 증가한다. 본 연구에서는 3차원 네트워크 겔 상의 가교개수밀도를 산출하여, 겔화 과정에서 가교환경에 의존하는 중합효율 및 가교효율을 확인하였다. 그 결과, 겔 용액에서 단량체와 가교제의 중량비가 동일하더라도 가교환경이 달라지면 실제 제조된 겔 내부의 가교개수밀도가 3.6배 이상 달라질 수 있음을 확인하였다. 본 연구에서 시도한 가교개수밀도 기반 겔 평가 방법을 활용하면 효과적인 VOCs 흡수제로써 3차원 네트워크 겔을 최적화 할 수 있으리라 기대된다.

Hydrophobically monoendcapped poly(sodium acrylate)s formed hydrophobic microdomains in water. This was concluded on poly(sodium acrylate)s with a linear C12-alkyl chain attached specifically at the end of the polymer. There was no well defined CMC (critical micelle concentration), but rather a gradual transition from a micelle free solution to a micelle solution. Steady state fluorescence spectroscopy indicates that the micro domains are rather hydrophobic. At pH 5 in the abscence of salt and at pH 9 in the prescence of 1 M sodium citrate the CAC (critical aggregation concentration) was in the range of 0.1 to 2.4 mM. However at pH 5 there was a linear increase in the transition concentration with a head-group size due to an increase in steric and electrostatic repulsions between polymer main chains. At pH 9 in the abscence of salt the transition concentration was in the range of 1 to 80 mM. For the larger polymers there was a effect which consisted of a concentration gradient of sodium counterion toward the hydrophobic domain. The effect was larger for the larger polymers because of the higher total sodium concentration and the less steep counterion concentration gradient.