Investigation of Swelling, Morphological, and Thermal Properties of Superabsorbent Carrageenan-Based Hydrogel

In this study, carrageenan/acrylic acid-co-itaconic acid (C/(A-co-I)) hydrogel was prepared with two-step method.Swelling tests of hydrogel were conducted against time, temperature, and pH.The prepared hydrogel showed high swelling values.The chemical structure of the hydrogel was examined via FTIR (Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy) analysis.SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) analysis of the hydrogel was performed to examine its morphological characteristics.It has been proven that hydrogel has a porous and layered structure.Thermal stability of the hydrogel was also analyzed using TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis).Based on the results obtained, it can be said that the synthesized hydrogel is superabsorbent.