Jute fiber (Corchorus capsularis, JRC-321 variety), an environmentally and ecologically friendly product, was chemically modified by the cooking alkaline sulfite process to unbleached and bleached pulps, which were further modified via graft copolymerization with acrylamide monomer with a complex initiating system: CuSO4/ glycine/KHSO5. The above samples were characterized and morphologically analyzed by IR, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The biodegradability and superabsorbency of the samples were also evaluated for their novel commercial importance as jute-based superabsorbents. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.