Abstract
Composites composed of carrageenans (κ-carrageenan, ι-carrageenan, λ-carrageenan) and glucomannan as superabsorbent hydrogels were evaluated. These composites were prepared by changing the feed ratio of carrageenans and glucomannan. Among them, the composite composed of ι-carrageenan and glucomannan (feed ratio 7:3 by weight), or that of λ-carrageenan and glucomannan exhibited high absorbency. Interestingly, the decrease of absorbency of these composites due to NaCl was somewhat lower than those of the corresponding carrageenans alone. The composite composed of ι-carrageenan and glucomannan showed excellent biodegradability.
