<![CDATA[Banana midrib waste contains cellulose that can potentially serve as a raw material for superabsorbent biopolymers. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the characteristics of a banana-midrib-cellulose-based superabsorbent biopolymer by comparing ammonium persulfate (APS) and potassium persulfate (KPS) as initiators. The biopolymer was synthesized through addition polymerization using acrylamide (AAM) as the monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the crosslinking agent, and nitrogen gas to accelerate gel formation and minimize oxygen interference. APS and KPS masses were varied at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g, while the cellulose-to-AAM ratios were set at 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, and 1:5. Polymerization was conducted using 1.5 g of cellulose and 0.2 g of EGDMA at 60 °C for two hours with a stirring speed of 250 rpm. The results showed that the initiator type and amount and the cellulose-to-AAM ratio influenced the swelling and water absorption capacities of the biopolymer. The optimum formulation consisted of 1.5 g of APS and a cellulose-to-AAM ratio of 1:4, achieving 884.8% swelling and 745.6% water absorption. These findings demonstrate the potential of banana midrib cellulose as a sustainable raw material for producing superabsorbent biopolymers under appropriately controlled formulation and polymerization conditions.]]>
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