Cellulose based super absorbent polymer (SAP)
Cellulose is one of the major components in forestry and agricultural Biorefinery Biomass and Residues. WMB scientists creatively modify cellulose through functionalization and crosslinking to produce biobased SAPs. The SAPs can absorb several hundred times of its own weight of water and withstand numerous wet/dry cycles. They have wide applications in:
- Agriculture: the products release moisture to plant root hairs and is replenished as a water reservoir whenever the soil receives rain or water irrigation, widely used as containers for water and plant nutrients, especially in arid and semiarid regions.
- Animal beds (such as cat sand).
- Industrial and environmental remediation to transform challenging liquid waste streams into easily managed dry solids.
- Hot/Cold Packs – Hydrated SAPs provide the insulation for the modern hot/cold pack.
