Premium
Water diffusion in methacrylate based copolymer hydrogels of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate
Author(s) -
Hill David J.T.,
Chowdhury Mohammad,
Ghi Phuong Y.,
Moss Naomi G.,
Whittaker Andrew K.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 1022-1360
DOI - 10.1002/masy.200450311
Subject(s) - copolymer , methacrylate , polymer chemistry , diffusion , polymer , self healing hydrogels , 2 hydroxyethyl methacrylate , materials science , (hydroxyethyl)methacrylate , fick's laws of diffusion , chemistry , composite material , thermodynamics , physics
The diffusion of water into cylinders of polyHEMA and copolymers of HEMA with THFMA, BMA and CHMA were studied over a range of copolymer compositions. The diffusion of water into the polymers was found to follow a Fickian, or case I mechanism. The diffusion coefficients of water were determined from mass measurements and NMR imaging studies. They were found to vary from 1.7 ± 0.2 x 10 −11 m 2 s −1 for polyHEMA at 37°C to lower values for the copolymers. The mass of water absorbed at equilibrium relative to the mass of dry polymer varied from 52‐58 wt% for polyHEMA to lower values for the copolymers.