The copolymerization of acrylic acid and p-divinylbenzene was initiated by r -mercap-topropylsiloxane in the mixture of aqueous sodiumhydroxide solution

carbon tetrachloride

n-hexane and Tween 80 to form a super absorbent sodium polyacrylate which could absorb over 400 times its weight of water.The super absorbent sodium polyacrylate which could absorb near 400 times its weight of water was also prepared by the polymerization of acrylic acid initiated with r -mercapto-propylsiloxane in the presence of dioxane

aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and carbon tetrachloride

but in the absence of any crosslinking agent.