Chemistry of Super Absorbent Fibres

What is OASIS SAF®?

OASIS Super Absorbent Fibre (OASIS® SAF) is manufactured using state-of-the-art production methods and control protocols.  This yields a truly high performance and versatile OASIS SAF® absorbency range.

Manufacturing

The raw materials of OASIS SAF® are mixed together with water and reacted using a polymerization initiator.  The very high conversion of monomer raw materials to polymer is achieved.

The aqueous polymer solution is then extruded into a hot air stream and dried.  The filaments are then heated to dry and cure the polymer, producing filaments of OASIS SAF® which are insoluble in water.  Moisture may be added to the fibres to aid processing.

Acrylic Acid Methyl Acrylate NaOH

Polymerization in water

Polymer Extrusion: Evaporation of water produces cylindrical fibres of precise diameter & length

Thermal & conditioning treatments. Product Packaging.

Chemistry

OASIS SAF® is a cross-linked terpolymer of acrylic acid (AA), methylacrylate (MA) and a small quantity of a special Acrylate/methacrylate monomer (SAMM) in which the acrylic acid is partially neutralized to the sodium salt.  The cross-links between the polymer chains are formed as ester groups by reaction between the acid groups in acrylic acid and the hydroxyl groups in hydroxypropylmethacrylate.

Where:

AA = { -CH2CH(COOH) } from acrylic acid
AANa = { -CH2CH(COONa) } from acrylic acid and NaOH
MA = { -CH2CH(COOCH3) } from methylacrylate
R =  - COOCH2CH(CH3) –
The values of W, X, Y & Z depend on the quantities of monomer raw materials used.
The values of U and V depend on the amount of heat treatment applied.

Physical Properties

OASIS SAF® does not melt.  It begins to decompose very slowly at temperatures above 200° C.  A Glass Transition Temperature (per TgA) is not measurable. 
Fibre density is approximately 1.4 g/ml.