Modeling of hydrogel swelling in buffered solutions

Abstract

In this paper, we present a meshless Finite Cloud Method (FCM) for the solution of time-dependent partial differential equations governing ionic gel swelling. Using a point distribution, FCM constructs interpolation functions without assuming any connectivity between points. A collocation approach enforces the unknowns at every point to satisfy either the governing equation of the boundary conditions. To validate the model, a cylindrical hydrogel was fabricated and subjected to step changes in solution pH to characterize the hydrogel's dynamic behavior. The hydrogel's equilibrium behavior was matched using a thermodynamic model. Numerical results show good agreement with experimental data.