Cassava waste pulp – poly(acrylamide-acrylic acid) based hydrogels using gamma irradiation

Cassava waste pulp (onggok) based hydrogels were synthesis with added of acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AAm). The used of onggok promises superior properties such as eco-friendly, lower prices because the raw materials are available naturally in abundant quantities compared to synthetic polymers, and biodegradable. Gamma irradiation method at doses of 0, 10, 20, and 30 kGy was carried out to produced cross-linked structures. Swelling, gel fraction, physical strength, and morphology were parameters of the hydrogels. The most optimum result was obtained from the addition of 25% acrylic acid and irradiation dose of 10 kGy, with swelling of 9423%, diffusion coefficient of 0.2393, gel fraction of 75.98%, the hardness of 8.53 mJ, and elasticity modulus of 7.01 kPa. (paper)