Fabrication of superabsorbent nanofibers based on sodium polyacrylate/poly(vinyl alcohol) and their water absorption characteristics

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) have been widely studied and used in various industries. In this study, SAPs based on sodium polyacrylate (NaPAA) and poly(vinyl alcohol) were successfully prepared in the form of nanofibers using the electrospinning technique. The heat-treated superabsorbent nanofibers (SANs) with 7 wt% of NaPAA and containing both crystal structures and crosslinks presented the best absorption performance, with up to 3.9 times and 134% increase in the absorption area and swelling ratio, respectively. Furthermore, the crystal structure and crosslinking of the SANs enabled them to maintain their fiber network during water absorption and recovery. The absorption rate of SANs having both crystal structures and crosslinks was slightly lower than that of nanofibers with only crystal structures, but it was still higher than that of SAPs because of the highly porous nature of the nanowebs. The easy processing and structural stability of SANs are expected to be useful in a wide range of applications. (c) 2019 Society of Chemical Industry