New superabsorbent hydrogels were synthesized through free radical graft copolymerization of partially neutralized acrylic acid (AA) and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) onto carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) backbones. The structure and morphology of the synthesized superabsorbent hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. The effect of the molar ratio of AMPS to AA, the APS concentration, and the CMC content on swelling ratio was optimized. |