Effect of Cross Linker Concentration on Swelling Kinetics of a Synthesized Ternary Co-Polymer System

Using equal volumes of three monomers (acrylic acid, vinyl acetate and methyl acrylate), ternary co-polymers were synthesized with different concentrations of cross linker, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). Benzoylperoxide was used as an initiator (concentration of 1% w/v) for the synthesis of hydrogel systems. A number of experiments were carried out to illustrate the swelling behavior of the gel with different concentrations of cross linker. The analysis of swelling data shows that the swelling phenomena is function of concentration of the cross linker used. Graphical and statistical analysis of diffusion exponents shows that the diffusion mechanism for water penetration into the synthesized gel system is controlled by concentration of the cross linker, i.e. n=noCC, where n is diffusion exponent, no(=0.6548) is pre-exponential factor, CL(= -0.0345) is  cross linker concentration sensitivity coefficient of the gel.

MUHAMMAD ASLAM MALANA ,ZAFAR IQBAL ZAFAR ,RUBAB ZUHRA ,