Changing of network characteristics of acrylamide/maleic acid hydrogels by alteration of irradiation dose rate

Poly(acrylamide/maleic acid) P(AAm/MA) hydrogels were prepared by irradiating the ternary mixtures of AAm/MA and water by gamma rays at ambient temperature at very low (0.18 kGy/h), and moderate dose rate (3.0 kGy/h). The equilibrium degree of swelling (EDS) of hydrogels prepared at 3.0 kGy/h dose rate increased from 520% to 3900% with increasing MA mole content in the gel system from 0% to 5.2%. on the other hand, no systematic dependence of swelling on MA content was observed for hydrogels obtained at low dose rate irradiation due to formation of inhomogeneous network structure and large pores in the gel. Pore structure of hydrogels was monitored by using scanning electron microscope. Systematic swelling of P(AAm/MA) hydrogels prepared at moderate dose rates can be explained with homogeneous pore size distribution of network. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.