HYDROPHILIC POLYELECTROLYTE GELS BY INVERSE SUSPENSION

This paper is devoted to the synthesis and characterization of highly hydrophilic polymer gels based on acrylic monomers. These superabsorbant polymeric materials (SAPs) were prepared by polymerization of an aqueous solution of monomers dispersed in a continuous organic phase. This inverse suspension process (I.S) was carried out in cyclohexane, the aqueous dispersed mixture containing acrylic acid, partially neutralised, at a given crosslinker/monomer ratio. The dispersion is stabilized by the introduction of a surfactant like SPAN 80. Due to an almost complete lack of available scientific knowledge, it was necessary to perform a basic study covering the influence of the main parameters driving the behaviour of SAPs, especially maximum swelling and absorption kinetics. Further influence of crosslinking density, initial monomer concentration and process conditions have been studied on the base of a model recipe. These results led to optimisation of swelling and absorption behaviour, using various kinds of monomer species and different polymerization conditions. Copyright © 1990 Hüthig & Wepf Verlag