Loosely Crosslinked Hydrogel with Combined Water-Retaining and Anti-Erosion Effect

A new loosely crosslinked network copolymer consisting of acrylamide, potassium acrylate, starch, and bis(acrylamide) as a crosslinking agent is synthesized. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized copolymer are compared with the properties of a commercial network copolymer of sodium acrylate and acrylamide which is used in agricultural technologies as a water-retaining agent. Both copolymers are water swellable; when swelling in air, the first copolymer absorbs more water than the second one; when swelling in the pores of fine-grained quartz sand, the opposite picture is observed. An aqueous suspension of easily deformable hydrogel particles of the synthesized copolymer (with a particle concentration of 1 wt %) can be applied to the sand surface by spraying, which is impossible for a suspension of elastic weakly deformable particles of the commercial hydrogel. After drying the sand with the synthesized copolymer applied to its surface, a coating is formed that protects the sand from the action of wind and water. The synthesized copolymer at a concentration of up to 0.5 wt % does not have antimicrobial action against bacteria and yeast. On the basis of its physical, chemical, and biological properties, the copolymer can be recommended as a multifunctional soil conditioner.