Cellulose-based nano hydrogel from corncob by gamma irradiation

Abstract

Based on economic nomenclature of Indonesian food crops, corn is the second important commodity after rice. The high corn production correlates with corncob waste produced. The existence of corncob waste is abundant and continuous post-harvest. One alternative to utilize of corncob waste is the high content of cellulose processed to cellulose-based nano hydrogel. In this study, cellulose from corncob was processed into hydrogel by gamma irradiation. Cellulose size reduction is done by the wet milling process. The treatment tested of nano hydrogel control was cellulose dissolved in NaOH/PEG solvent whereas the ratio of cellulose: solvent was 1:2 and 1:4 and nano hydrogel by gamma irradiation that nano-cellulose solution was filtered by vacuum filtration. The aim of this research was to find out the characteristics of nano hydrogel by gamma irradiation. Parameters observed were swelling ratio, gel fraction, texture and morphology. The result showed that the treatment test of nano hydrogel without gamma radiation has 111% and 127% swelling ratio, meanwhile, nano hydrogel with gamma irradiation has a 214% swelling ratio, 99% gel fraction and 1.17 mJ hardness with morphology showed higher porosity. The higher swelling ratio of nano hydrogel by gamma irradiation has the potential for application in agriculture as water absorbent material and fertilizer carrier agent.