Preparation of guar gum-g-poly (vinyl acetate-co-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) anti-leakage material and its performance study

Salinization of land and water scarcity is the global environmental issues, and their management in the early stages can help to prevent the loss of fertile soil and increasing desertification. Here a cost-effective emulsion with good water retention and salt isolation performance was prepared by free radical emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate (VAc) and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) onto guar gum (GG) substrate GG-g-P(VAc-co-HEMA). The emulsion was characterized using conventional methods and the reaction conditions were optimized for maximum viscosity. The performance (stability, water retention, anti-leakage and salt isolation) of the optimized emulsion was evaluated in lateritic soil. The results showed that, compared with the untreated soil, the antileakage and salt isolation performance of the emulsion treated laterite soil increased by ∼ 64.7 % and ∼ 22 % respectively. The GG-g-P(VAc-co-HEMA) emulsion has good prospects for water harvesting and water conservation in arid and semi-arid areas and water resource regulation, as well as saline-alkali soil improvement for sustainable agriculture. © 2022