Superabsorbents of low synthetic polymer content, exhibiting absorbencies similar to commercially produced starch based supcrabsorbents, will no doubt degrade much easier after use and also be more economical to produce since less acrylonitrile will be required in the graft copolyinerization stage. With this ultimate objective, synthesis of superabsorbents from hydrolysis of starch-g-polyacrylonitrile(SPAN) copolymers of low polyacrylonitrile(PAH) content was studied. Higher alkali/nitrile group mole ratios in the hydrolysis of SPAN of low PAN content was required. SPAN of % PAN less than 25% required alkali/nitrile group mole ratios up to 1.0, and the superabsorbents prepared in this manner exhibited distilled water absorbencies of greater than 300g/g. Superabsorbents from SPAH of low synthetic polymer content exhibited higher absorption rates than the supcrabsorbent mode according to known methods. The gel strength of the superabsorbents decreased with increase in the alkali/nitrile group mole ratios used in hydrolysis.