DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATIONS OF CARBOXYMETHYL TAMARIND KERNEL GUM BASED HYDROGELS

Abstract

The solely goal is to help Indian farmers to grow more food with less water. Keeping in perspective the fact that there’s a need of an irrigation system that is reliable and requires less investment, low water supply, and low maintenance. Henceforth, the objective has been kept to synthesize a biodegradable biopolymer based superabsorbent hydrogel that can sustain the crops for longer period of time even with lesser irrigation, supporting the cause of water conservation along with acting as a soil conditioner by being the carrier vehicle of micro-nutrients. The novel superabsorbent hydrogels were fabricated by interpenetrating carboxymethyl tamarind kernel gum with sodium-acrylate. The synthesis of SAH was verified by characterization using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and swelling studies under various solutions. The hydrogel formed was found out to be bio-degradable (soil burial biodegradation test). Maximum water holding capacity, bulk density, porosity and water retention capacity of soil were evaluated to see the effects on soil by the hydrogel treatment. The synthesized SAH was then tested to display promising potential as soil conditioner for agricultural applications. The novel Boron and Zinc micronutrients loaded separate superabsorbent hydrogels were synthesized via in-situ mechanism having carboxymethyl tamarind kernel gum as its principle component. The synthesis was established by TGA examination, SEM micrographs studies, and FTIR analysis which further also confirmed the interaction between micronutrients and tridimensional network of superabsorbent hydrogels to be entirely physical. The influence of various solvents, such as standard saline solution, different pH solutions (4, 9, 12), and distilled water on the swelling index of both set of hydrogels were examined. These micronutrients loaded hydrogels were also examined for the agricultural application to assess the release of the micronutrients. It was established by studying and calculating the release behavior pattern along with the release kinetics of BSH in water, and as well in soil. The half-life and time period for release of 95 % and 99 % of micronutrients were calculated as per the Olson’s single exponential model, to predict the pattern of boron and zinc release from developed superabsorbent hydrogel formulation.