Synthesis and characterization of an innovative sodium alginate/flaxseed gum green hydrogel for forward osmosis desalination

• Published in: Applied water science Vol. 14; no. 2; pp. 20 - 13
• Main Authors: Saad, Menatalla Ashraf, Sadik, Eman Radi, Eldakiky, Basma Mohamed, He, Zhen, Elashtoukhy, Elsayed Zakaria, Khalifa, Randa Eslah, Zewail, Taghreed Mohamed Mohamed, Moustafa, Hanan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.02.2024; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Alginic acid; Analytical methods; Aquatic Pollution; Comparative Law; Compressive strength; Desalination; Draw agent; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Electron microscopy; Epichlorohydrin; Flaxseed gum; Fluctuations; Forward osmosis; Fourier transforms; Fresh water; Freshwater; Freshwater resources; Green hydrogel; Hydrogels; Hydrogeology; Industrial and Production Engineering; Infrared spectroscopy; Inland water environment; International & Foreign Law; Interpenetrating networks; Mass; Nanotechnology; Optimization; Original Article; Osmosis; Particle size; Polyethylene glycol; Polymer blends; Polymers; Private International Law; Scanning electron microscopy; Seaweed meal; Sodium; Sodium alginate; Solutes; Swelling ratio; Waste Water Technology; Water desalting; Water Industry/Water Technologies; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Water resources; X-ray diffraction; Flaxseed gum; Sodium alginate; Forward osmosis; Draw agent; Desalination; Green hydrogel
• ISSN: 2190-5487; 2190-5495
• DOI: 10.1007/s13201-023-02080-4

Recently, fresh water resources have been limited globally. Thus, desalination has been the most recommended solution to overcome this issue. Forward osmosis (FO) is an affordable and developing desalination technique. In this current study, a cutting-edge green hydrogel was prepared from a polymer blend of flaxseed gum (FG) and sodium alginate using epichlorohydrin (ECH) as a crosslinker and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a semi-interpenetrating network polymer. The impact of PEG incorporation on the hydrogel’s response was investigated, and the influence of different mass contents of FG and ECH on the swelling measurements of the hydrogel was studied to optimize the composition of the hydrogel. The optimum hydrogel was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction and the compressive strength test. Furthermore, the behavior of the present hydrogel was examined as a draw agent in a batch FO unit. The water flux and the reverse solute flux were measured at various values of average hydrogel particle size and feed solution (FS) temperature and concentration. The optimal hydrogel of 0.3 PEG/polymer blend mass ratio, 12% FG, and 0.95 ECH/polymer blend mass ratio exhibits a swelling ratio (%) of 1800 after an hour and an equilibrium swelling ratio (ESR) (%) of 5300. The results of the FO experiments revealed that raising FS temperature and reducing FS concentration and average hydrogel particle size enhance water flux.