Abstract

Polysaccharide based semisynthetic polymers are gaining prominence as eco-friendly alternatives in many
fields. Thus in this study, guar gum grafted poly acrylic acid/cloisite superabsorbent nanocomposites were
prepared by both conventional and microwave methods. The reaction parameters such as initiator
concentration, monomer concentration and time were optimized and the effect of cross-linker and cloisite
concentration on swelling were also studied. Characterization of the synthesized polymer was carried out using
FTIR, XRD, DSC and TGA. The final optimized percentage grafting in conventional and microwave methods
were observed to be 60% and 63% respectively. The microwave method was twelve times faster than the
conventional method. The swelling and reswelling studies of the composites were conducted the
biodegradability of the composites were also studied.