Hydrogels Are Reinforced with Colombian Fique Nanofibers to Improve Techno-Functional Properties for Agricultural Purposes

Marcelo A. Guancha-Chalapud, Liliana Serna-Cock and Diego F. Tirado
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Marcelo A. Guancha-Chalapud: Centro Nacional de Asistencia Técnica a la industria (ASTIN), Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje (SENA), Cali 760004, Colombia
Liliana Serna-Cock: Faculty of Engineering and Administration, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Palmira, Palmira 763533, Colombia
Diego F. Tirado: Dirección Académica, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede de La Paz, La Paz 202017, Colombia

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Colombia is the world’s largest producer of fique fibers ( Furcraea bedinghausii ), with a net production of 30,000 tons per year. This work proposes to revalue waste from the Colombian fique agroindustry. For this purpose, cellulose nanofibers were obtained from fique and used as reinforcement material to create acrylic superabsorbent hydrogels. Unreinforced acrylic hydrogels (AHR0) and acrylic hydrogels reinforced with fique nanofibers at 3% w / w (AHR3), 5% w / w (AHR5), and 10 % w / w (AHR10) were synthesized using the solution polymerization method. The best hydrogel formulation for agricultural purposes was chosen by comparing their swelling behavior, mechanical properties, and using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). By raising the nanofiber concentration to 3% (AHR3), the best-chosen formulation, the interaction between the nanofibers and the polymer matrix increased, which favored the network stability. However, beyond AHR3, there was a higher viscosity of the reactive system, which caused a reduction in the mobility of the polymer chains, thus disfavoring the swelling capacity. The reinforced hydrogel proposed in this study (AHR3) could represent a contribution to overcoming the problems of land dryness present in Colombia, an issue that will worsen in the coming years due to the climate emergency.

Keywords: global water crisis; sustainability; bioprospecting; circular economy; agro-industrial waste revalorization; bioeconomy; superabsorbent hydrogel; nanofiber (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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