AI Summary & Key Takeaways
AI InsightAll the results indicated that bothcationic MAPTAC units and chitosan were strongly influenced the gel properties frompore structures and swelling properties to nitrate loading and release % values due to therepulsion forces formed between the positive charges in MAPTAC and chitosan, as wellas the interaction between these ionic groups and water molecules.
📌 3 Key Takeaways
Abstract
Poly(acrylamido-co-3-methacrylopropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride)-Chitosansemi-IPN hydrogels were prepared by free-radical polymerization of the monomeracrylamide (AAm) and the cationic comonomer 3- methacrylo propyl trimethyl ammoniumchloride (MAPTAC) with N,N-methylene bisacrylamide (BAAm) as thecrosslinker in presence of chitosan, which is also cationic natural polymer. The swellingproperties were investigated by using gravimetric method, whereas morphologicalstructure and mechanical performance of the hydrogels were identified by employingscanning electron microscopy (SEM) and uniaxial compression machine, respectively.Potassium nitrate was used as the model fertilizer and its loading and release experimentswere carried out with conductimetric measurements. All the results indicated that bothcationic MAPTAC units and chitosan were strongly influenced the gel properties frompore structures and swelling properties to nitrate loading and release % values due to therepulsion forces formed between the positive charges in MAPTAC and chitosan, as wellas the interaction between these ionic groups and water molecules. The new semi-IPNhydrogels exhibited good slow nitrate release, better swelling and improved mechanicalperformances in especially some composition . Thus it can be concluded that the newsemi-IPN hydrogels have a potential to use them as a nitrate fertilizer carrier. Especiallythe further investigations performed with A-1M-0.05C hydrogel in soil media revealedthat the hydrogel at this combination can be evaluated as one of the promising materialswhich can be safely used as controlled fertilizer release system.