Russian scientists have created an environmentally friendly and economical method for producing hydrogels from waste paper. The development will allow agricultural enterprises to use water resources more rationally and help in the disposal of paper waste. The work was performed by specialists from the St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design (SPbGUPTD) and the Institute of Macromolecular Compounds of the Russian Academy of Sciences, subordinated to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, reports Press Service of the Ministry of Education and Science.
“The main advantage of our hydrogels is that we have found use for waste paper cellulose fibers, which are deformed during processing and are not used to create paper. Thus, we solve the problem of recycling paper waste. In Russia, less than 30% of waste paper is used for recycling, the remaining 70% is sent to landfills for disposal, ”comments Alexandra Mikhailidi, Associate Professor of the Department of Printing Technology at the Higher School of Printing and Media Technologies of St.
Similar synthetic hydrogels are used in agriculture to hold water in the soil and deliver fertilizer to plant roots. According to scientists, the new eco-friendly hydrogels are non-toxic to the environment and have an increased water-holding capacity, which allows agricultural enterprises to use resources more rationally. In addition, hydrogels from waste paper can solve the problem of paper waste disposal in Russia.
The development is planned to be used in the field of agriculture. Due to the fact that the technology does not require additional equipment and raw materials, hydrogels can be produced directly at the waste paper processing plant, and then brought to the agri-food markets.
“The advantage of hydrogels based on waste paper is also that they are non-toxic to animals and plants, are able to retain liquid 4000% more than their own weight and slowly release it during dry periods, which contributes to a more economical consumption of fresh water and fertilizers. At the end of their service life, our hydrogels decompose in the soil into natural components without polluting it,” says Alexandra Mikhailidi.
The results of the study were published in a scientific journal "Chemistry of plant raw materials".