A new cellulose-based superabsorbent polymer, carboxymethyl cellulose-graft-poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide), was prepared by the free-radical grafting solution polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM) monomers onto carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) in the presence of N,N '-methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinker with a redox couple of potassium persulfate and sodium metabisulfite as an initiator. The influences of reaction variables such as the initiator content, crosslinker content, bath temperature, molar ratio of AA to AM, and weight ratio of the monomers to CMC on the water absorbency of the carboxymethylcellulose-graft-poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide) copolymer were investigated. The copolymer's structures were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The optimum reaction conditions were obtained as follows: the bath temperature was 50 C; the molar ratio of AA to AM was 3: 1; the mass ratio of the monomers to CMC was 4: 1; and the weight percentages of the crosslinker and initiator with respect to the monomers were 0.75 and 1%, respectively. The maximum water absorbency of the optimized product was 920 g/g for distilled water and 85 g/g for a 0.9 wt % aqueous NaCl solution. In addition, the superabsorbent possessed good water retention and salt resistance. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.