Anggakusuma Rezky, Utama Gemilang Lara, Sumiarsa Dadan, Muslimah Permata Apriliani Dewi, Asgar Ali
Doctoral Program on Environmental Sciences, Graduate School, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jl. Dipati Ukur No. 35, Bandung 40132, Indonesia.
Directorate of Laboratory Management, Research Facilities, and Science and Technology Park, BRIN, Jl. Sangkuriang No. 1-5, Bandung 40135, Indonesia.
Gels. 2025 May 14;11(5):363. doi: 10.3390/gels11050363.
Many studies have examined the ability of polymer-based gels or hydrogels to serve various purposes, particularly as absorbents. Several studies have reported that polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), with specific compositions and additives, is an absorbent and a decontamination material usable for heavy metals and radioactive substances. PVA has a high cost and is slowly degradable under anaerobic conditions. This study investigated the potential of natural materials, namely cassava starch, which is an environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and readily available gel-forming polymer that, notably, is inexpensive in Indonesia. The FTIR analysis showed a bond and polymer formation between cassava starch and glycerol. The cassava starch-glycerol-water mixture was applied to media such as glass, aluminum plates, and ceramics contaminated with heavy-metal stable ions which correspond to a radionuclide. The media, stored at room temperature for 24 h, becomes a film. According to the SEM and XRF results, the gel becomes a film that binds and absorbs metals when dried. The SEM results showed the presence of metals corresponding with the sources of contamination, and the XRF results showed that the quantity of metals absorbed was large. The cassava starch gel absorption results indicated the formation of an amorphous compound, as indicated by the XRF results. Based on all the analyses, the cassava starch-glycerol gel has enormous potential. It is almost equivalent to a PVA gel as an absorbent material and heavy-metal decontamination material, when used for radioactive decontamination on the material's surface.
许多研究考察了基于聚合物的凝胶或水凝胶用于各种目的的能力，尤其是作为吸收剂的能力。几项研究报告称，具有特定组成和添加剂的聚乙烯醇（PVA）是一种可用于重金属和放射性物质的吸收剂及去污材料。PVA成本高昂，且在厌氧条件下降解缓慢。本研究调查了天然材料的潜力，即木薯淀粉，它是一种环境友好、无毒且易于获得的凝胶形成聚合物，在印度尼西亚尤其便宜。傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）分析表明木薯淀粉与甘油之间形成了化学键和聚合物。将木薯淀粉 - 甘油 - 水混合物应用于被与放射性核素相对应的重金属稳定离子污染的玻璃、铝板和陶瓷等介质上。在室温下储存24小时后，这些介质会形成一层薄膜。根据扫描电子显微镜（SEM）和X射线荧光光谱（XRF）的结果，凝胶干燥后会变成一种能结合并吸收金属的薄膜。SEM结果显示存在与污染源相对应的金属，XRF结果表明吸收的金属量很大。木薯淀粉凝胶的吸收结果表明形成了一种非晶态化合物，XRF结果也证实了这一点。基于所有分析，木薯淀粉 - 甘油凝胶具有巨大潜力。当用于材料表面的放射性去污时，它作为吸收材料和重金属去污材料几乎等同于PVA凝胶。
