A simplified approach to evaluating water absorption kinetics in swellable polymer matrices

The purpose of this research was to find a better way to measure the rate of water absorption in swellable polymer matrices using a less complicated approach. When it comes to kinetic research, the current methods, such as optical microscopy, spatula techniques, and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, can be quite labour-intensive and complicated. This problem was solved by introducing a technique that makes use of both perforated and non-perforated plastic sheets. On the 2 cm² sheets, black circles with different diameters were printed. On top of these circles, in a Petri dish filled with water, were inserted polymer compacts. The water absorption (W) was measured by removing and weighing the sheets and compacts at predetermined intervals. U, the average water penetration velocity, and Q, the mass degree of swelling, were computed from these values. This technique allowed for the front of the erosion to remain undisturbed while the water absorption kinetics were monitored continuously until the compacts were completely worn away. The results demonstrated that there was no notable distinction (p<0.05) in W, U, and Q between the perforated and non-perforated sheets. After an initial burst of rapid water uptake, swelling peaked at five hours, and then began to fall as a result of the gelled layer’s polymer chain degradation. A potential alternative to traditional methods for investigating the kinetics of water absorption in polymer matrices, this approach is user-friendly, sensitive, and straight forward.