Abstract
The purpose of the paper is to present the synthesis and characterization of hydrogels prepared by free-radical copolymerization of acrylamide and acrylic acid in aqueous solutions using potassium persulfate as initiator and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate as cross-linker, via the radiation technique. The samples were subjected to electron beam treatment in the dose range of 2 to 4 kGy and the influence of the absorbed dose and amount of cross-linker on the swelling properties, diffusion coefficient, and network parameters of hydrogels was investigated. A possible reaction mechanism for acrylamide/acrylic acid/trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate hydrogels was also suggested. The structure and morphology of hydrogels were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy.
Highlights
Hydrogels are three-dimensionally cross-linked hydrophilic polymers capable of swelling and retaining huge volume in the swollen state, even under pressure
The purpose of this study is to present the synthesis and characterization of some hydrogels prepared by freeradical copolymerization of acrylamide and acrylic acid in aqueous solutions using potassium persulfate as initiator and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate as cross-linker
The cross-linker was used in conjunction with the radical cure systems in order to improve physical properties of the final product
Summary
Hydrogels are three-dimensionally cross-linked hydrophilic polymers capable of swelling and retaining huge volume in the swollen state, even under pressure These macromolecule networks can absorb water, many hundreds of times more than their dried weight. Due to their unique characteristics like hydrophilicity, swelling in aqueous media, nonsoluble nature in aqueous fluids, and ionic aspects, they are applied in biomedicine, bioengineering, pharmaceutical, food industry, or agriculture [1,2,3]. Permanent or chemical gel is a covalently cross-linked network obtained by replacing hydrogen bond with a stronger and stable covalent bond [5, 6] They reach an equilibrium swelling state which depends on the polymer-water interaction parameter and the cross-link density [5, 7]. In the physically cross-linked gels, dissolution is prevented by physical interactions which exist between different polymer chains [5, 7]
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