CHARACTERIZATION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CTS/PVA HYDROGEL APPLIED AS A GROWING MEDIUM FOR PLANTS

Tóm tắt

Hydrogel is a hydrophilic material capable of retaining large amounts of water. It has recently been considered an attractive material for modern agricultural development, particularly as a growing medium for plants. This article takes advantage of the abundant chitosan (CTS) source in Vietnam to combine with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to make a hydrogel that can carry nutrients to plants without soil. Hydrogels were synthesized by a freeze-thaw method based on the ratio of CTS and PVA. In addition, the properties of hydrogels, such as mechanical strength, swelling degree, gel fraction, and rheology, were determined. SEM and FTIR were used to analyze the chemical structure and morphology of the hydrogel. Moreover, the samples were also tested for germination and growing plants. The results show that the CTS/PVA (2-3) hydrogel shows many advantageous features, including a swelling index of 483 %, ultimate tensile strength of 0.30 MPa, and stability under 65 °C. This study can expand the potential of hydrogels in sustainable agricultural development.