Open Access

ARTICLE

Effect of Crosslinking on the Network Parameters, Swelling and Mechanical Properties of PVA-Borax and Poly (AM-co-HEMA) Double Network (DN) Hydrogels

AKANSHA DIXIT, DIBYENDU S. BAG^*, DHIRENDRA KUMAR SHARMA^a, HARJEET SINGH, N. ESWARA PRASAD

Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment DMSRDE P. O., G. T. Road, Kanpur-208013, INDIA
a Department of Chemistry, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi-284128, INDIA

* Corresponding Author: e-mail :

Journal of Polymer Materials 2018, 35(3), 371-391. https://doi.org/10.32381/JPM.2018.35.03.10

Abstract

Crosslinking is one of the most important factors affecting the major characteristics of polymer and hydrogel materials. Now-a-days, double network (DN) hydrogels have attracted special attention for their high strength and stretchability. In this investigation, we report the effect of crosslinker concentration on the DN hydrogels which are consisting of poly(vinyl alchohol)-borax as the first network and poly(acrylamide-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) as the second network synthesized by in-situ crosslinking polymerization process using N, N’-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as crosslinker. Various properties of the DN hydrogels such as degree of swelling, swelling kinetics, gel fraction and network parameters (crosslink density, average molar mass between crosslinks, mesh size etc.) were studied. The polymer-solvent interaction parameter (χ) and polymer volume fraction in swollen state (V_P) were also calculated using Flory-Rehner Theory. We observed that the degree of swelling was increased with increasing crosslinker concentration up to 0.1 wt% of monomers. But above this concentration, it was decreased with crosslinker concentration. The gel fractions as well as mechanical properties were increased with increasing MBA crosslinker concentration.

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