SWELLING PROPERTIES OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT SWELLING PROPERTIES OF OIL PALM EMPTY FRUIT BUNCH-GRAFT-POLY ACRYLAMIDE, POLYACRYLIC BUNCH-GRAFT-POLY ACRYLAMIDE, POLYACRYLIC ACID, AND POLY(ACRYLIC ACID-CO-ACRYLAMIDE)ACID, AND POLY(ACRYLIC ACID-CO-ACRYLAMIDE)

Nurul Ekmi Rabat, Nurul Ekmi Rabat,

Shahrir Hashim, Shahrir Hashim,

Ila Najaa Ali BadaruddinIla Najaa Ali Badaruddin

Why produce?Why produce?

• Non-biodegradable and expensive. • Pollution• Overdose urea lost through leaching or

volatilization• OPEFB -waste and unutilized.

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alleviating environmental impact lowering application frequency

Improve nutrition of plants decrease fertilizer loss rate

supplying nutrients sustainablyminimizing the potential negative effects associated with unused fertilizer

SRFSRF

Swelling Behavior Test

Water Swelling CapacitySwelling RateReswelling Ability

AUL

AA or AAm or AA/AAm

(monomer)

MBA

(crosslinker)

APS (initiator)

OPEFB (filler)NaOH (neutralization)

Urea

(Fertilizer)

Materials & ProcessMaterials & Process

0% OPEFB 5% OPEFB

Water Absorbency Water Absorbency Capacity Capacity

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112 /)( mmmQeq 112 /)( mmmQeq

2) highest WAC 5wt% OPEFB-g-(PAA-co-PAAm) 40.08g/g.

1) WAC slowly increased, OPEFB increased

3) WAC decrease ,amount of OPEFB increased15 wt%.

Swelling Rate of Swelling Rate of HydrogelsHydrogels

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1) water absorbed rapidly

2) increases slowly

synerisis phenomena

3) reach equilibrium

Reswelling Ability Reswelling Ability

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The WAC of all hydrogels decreases with the increase of re-swelling times

Measurement of Absorption Measurement of Absorption Under Load (AUL)Under Load (AUL)

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OPEFB-g-PAA weakest gel strength and low ability to keep the water absorbed in the center of the gel

ConclusionsConclusions

• OPEFB-g-PAAm, OPEFB-g-PAA and OPEFB-g-(PAA-co-PAAm) synthesized.

• Swelling behaviours of 5 wt % OPEFB-g-(PAA-co-PAAm) better than OPEFB-g-PAAm and OPEFB-g-PAA.

• OPEFB enhances swelling behaviours

of hydrogel

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Biopolymer Research Group (BRG)Faculty of Chemical Engineering

(FKK)Universiti Teknologi Malaysi(UTM) Ministry of Higher Education of

Malaysia (MOHE)

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