Kopolimerisasi onggok-polivinil alkohol (PVA)-akrilamida (AAm) dibuat dengan teknik iradiasi sinar gamma. Campuran bahan-bahan tersebut dibuat menjadi suatu kopolimer yang ramah lingkungan bersifat biodegradable sehingga dapat diaplikasikan dalam bidang pertanian sebagai bahan untuk modifikasi pupuk fosfat yang memiliki sifat pelepasan lambat. Kopolimer dibuat dengan jumlah onggok tetap, serta volume PVA 10% w/v dan akrilamida 3% w/v divariasikan. Selain itu, variasi dosis iradiasi (5, 10, 15, dan 20 kGy) dilakukan pada pembuatan kopolimer. Pada penelitian ini diperoleh kopolimer yang paling baik untuk digunakan sebagai bahan modifikasi pupuk fosfat adalah sampel (I). Sampel (I) merupakan kopolimer onggok-polivinil alkohol-akrilamida dengan komposisi 3 gram onggok, 45 mL PVA 10% w/v, dan 105 mL Akrilamida 3% w/v. Terjadinya kopolimerisasi onggok-PVA-akrilamida pada sampel (I) ditunjukan oleh hasil karakterisasi FTIR. Pengaruh penambahan onggok terhadap kestabilan termal dan terbentuknya pori pada kopolimer sampel (I) di tunjukan oleh hasil karakterisasi TGA dan SEM. Pengamatan dan pengujian terhadap nilai persen fraksi gel, rasio swelling, dan persen pelepasan fosfat pada kopolimer sampel (I) diperoleh hasil sebesar 48.71%, 321.63 %, 18.13%. Pengukuran sifat pelepasan lambat dilakukan dengan metode absorbsi-desorbsi. Dalam penelitian ini terlihat bahwa sifat kopolimer dipengaruhi oleh komposisi PVA dan akrilamida dan dosis iradiasi.

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Copolymerization of tapioca waste-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-acrylamide was made with gamma irradiation techniques. Mixtures of these materials made into an copolymer that have environmentally-friendly with biodegradable properties so that it can be applied in agriculture as a material for the modification of phosphate fertilizers that have slow release properties. Copolymer was made with fixed amount of tapioca waste and the volume of PVA 10% w/v and acrylamide 3% w/v was varied. In addition, the variation of irradiation dose (5, 10, 15, and 20 kGy) was done on making of the copolymer. In this study was obtained the best copolymer to be used as material for the modification of phosphate fertilizers was sample (I). Sample (I) was the copolymer of tapioca waste-polyvinyl alcohol-acrylamide with 3 gram tapioca waste, 45 mL PVA 10% w/v, and 105 mL acrylamide 3% w/v as the composition. The occurrence of copolymerization tapioca waste-PVA-acrylamide on sample (I) was shown by the results of FTIR characterization. Effect of tapioca waste on the thermal stability and the formation of pores in the copolymer sample (I) was shown by the results of TGA and SEM characterization. Observation and testing the yield of percent gel fraction, swelling ratio, and percent release of phosphate in the copolymer sample (I) was obtained respectively 48.71%, 321.63 %, 18:13%. Measurement of slow release properties was done by absorption-desorption methode. In this study shows that the properties of copolymer is influenced by the composition of the PVA and acrylamide and irradiation dose.