Synthesis, Characterization, and Biodegradability of a Superabsorbent Cellulose-Based Hydrogel Derived from Olive Pomace
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Harran University, Sanliurfa 63290, Türkiye
- 2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Harran University, Sanliurfa 63290, Türkiye
- 3Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Harran University, Sanliurfa 63290, Türkiye
- 4Water Sciences, Microbial Biotechnologies and Natural Resources Sustainability Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech 40000, Morocco
- 5Kokand University, 28-A Turkiston Street, Kokand 150700, Fergana Region, Uzbekistan
- 6Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Harran University, Sanliurfa 63290, Türkiye
Abstract
In this study, a cellulose-based hydrogel was derived from olive pomace through a three-stage valorization process. In the first stage, cellulose was extracted from de-oiled olive pomace, yielding 9.16%. In the second stage, the extracted cellulose was converted to sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) via carboxymethylation with monochloroacetic acid (MCA) under alkaline conditions. In the third stage, the synthesized CMC was chemically crosslinked with epichlorohydrin (ECH) in an alkaline medium to produce a biobased hydrogel. The resulting material exhibited an amorphous phase fraction of 80.93% and an exceptional equilibrium swelling ratio of 2616% after approximately 12 days of immersion in distilled water. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the hydrogel exhibited good thermal stability, with an onset degradation temperature of 236.05 °C, and retained 27.05% of its mass at 600 °C. Furthermore, time-dependent deswelling measurements demonstrated strong water-retention performance, with a cumulative mass loss of only 20.93% after 6.5 h under ambient evaporation conditions. The biodegradability test was systematically assessed via a 28-day soil burial test using two different carrier systems: perforated polyethylene bags and muslin/cheesecloth bags. Following 28 days of soil burial, the hydrogel exhibited gravimetric mass losses of 41.25% and 53.88% in the perforated polyethylene and muslin/cheesecloth carrier systems, respectively. These results indicate that the hydrogel derived from olive pomace is an olive pomace-derived biodegradable water-retention material with significant potential for agricultural soil conditioning, controlled-release fertilizer systems, and other environmental applications.
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BibTeX
@article{esin2026synthesis,
title = {{Synthesis, Characterization, and Biodegradability of a Superabsorbent Cellulose-Based Hydrogel Derived from Olive Pomace}},
author = {Sukru Esin and Mustafa Degirmenci and Eyyup Karaogul and Achraf Berradi and Ahlam Lafdali and Faissal Aziz and Pınar Küce Cevik and Salih Aydemir},
journal = {Polymers},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/polym18202495},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/20/2495},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Synthesis, Characterization, and Biodegradability of a Superabsorbent Cellulose-Based Hydrogel Derived from Olive Pomace
AU - Sukru Esin
AU - Mustafa Degirmenci
AU - Eyyup Karaogul
AU - Achraf Berradi
AU - Ahlam Lafdali
AU - Faissal Aziz
AU - Pınar Küce Cevik
AU - Salih Aydemir
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Polymers
DO - 10.3390/polym18202495
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/18/20/2495
AB - In this study, a cellulose-based hydrogel was derived from olive pomace through a three-stage valorization process. In the first stage, cellulose was extracted from de-oiled olive pomace, yielding 9.16%. In the second stage, the extracted cellulose was converted to sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) via carboxymethylation with monochloroacetic acid (MCA) under alkaline conditions. In the third stage, the synthesized CMC was chemically crosslinked with epichlorohydrin (ECH) in an alkaline medium to produce a biobased hydrogel. The resulting material exhibited an amorphous phase fraction of 80.93% and an exceptional equilibrium swelling ratio of 2616% after approximately 12 days of immersion in distilled water. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the hydrogel exhibited good thermal stability, with an onset degradation temperature of 236.05 °C, and retained 27.05% of its mass at 600 °C. Furthermore, time-dependent deswelling measurements demonstrated strong water-retention performance, with a cumulative mass loss of only 20.93% after 6.5 h under ambient evaporation conditions. The biodegradability test was systematically assessed via a 28-day soil burial test using two different carrier systems: perforated polyethylene bags and muslin/cheesecloth bags. Following 28 days of soil burial, the hydrogel exhibited gravimetric mass losses of 41.25% and 53.88% in the perforated polyethylene and muslin/cheesecloth carrier systems, respectively. These results indicate that the hydrogel derived from olive pomace is an olive pomace-derived biodegradable water-retention material with significant potential for agricultural soil conditioning, controlled-release fertilizer systems, and other environmental applications.
SN - 2073-4360
ER -