Glycerol‐lactic acid star‐shaped oligomers as efficient biobased surface modifiers for improving superabsorbent polymer hydrogels

The glycerol‐lactic acid‐based star‐shaped modifier (SM) were synthesized and employed for surface modification of hygienic superabsorbent polymer (SAP) hydrogels for the first time. Surface crosslinking was carried out to increase the saline‐absorbency under load (AUL) and the swollen gel strength. The surface treatment process was analyzed employing free absorbency and AUL tests, salt sensitivity, attenuated total reflectance‐Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR), oscillatory rheometry, as well as scanning electron microscopy analysis. The effect of the branched architecture and the contents of SM on the properties of the modified SAPs were studied. The implementation of surface treatment leads to increase up to a 28% in the AUL of the modified SAP. Moreover, the loss modulus was surprisingly increased, while the storage modulus was enhanced (possibly due to the star architecture of oligomers). Mc and crosslink density values have been estimated based on modified rubber elasticity theory. Salt sensitivity factor (f) was calculated; the modified samples showed lower salt sensitivity in NaCl (f = 0.7) and CaCl2 (f = 0.93–0.95) compared with the intact SAP (f = 0.84 for NaCl, and f = 0.95–0.97 for CaCl2).