Tough and multi-responsive hydrogel based on the hemicellulose from the spent liquor of viscose process

•The hydrogel was prepared using hemicellulose waste liquor from viscose fiber mill.•The hydrogel had good mechanical properties at swelling equilibrium state.•The hydrogel could quickly respond to pH, salt and ethanol.•This study provides a good way to treat hemicellulose waste liquor.

The hemicellulose isolated from the spent liquor of a viscose process was successfully utilized to prepare hydrogels by the graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) with hemicellulose. The hemicellulose and prepared hydrogel were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR). Under the optimum preparation conditions, the highest compressive strength and strain at break of the resultant hydrogel were 105.1 ± 12.9 kPa and 34.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the maximum equilibrium swelling degree of prepared hydrogel was 192. Also, the hydrogel could rapidly respond to pH, salt and ethanol. Taken together, the prepared hydrogels had great mechanical and multi-responsive properties. Thus, the prepared hydrogels had a great potential application in drug release, water treatment and cell immobilization. In addition, the utilization of alkaline extracted hemicellulose from the viscose fiber factory has huge market potential and economic benefits.