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Chemistry Forums for Students => Physical Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: rj1027 on December 12, 2004, 02:56:02 PM

Title: absorbtion
Post by: rj1027 on December 12, 2004, 02:56:02 PM

The polymer utilized in diapers is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. This polymer will swell and absorb 500 times its own weight in water. Explain quantitatively why this occurs.

we know how to explain this problem, but we are having trouble trying to explain in it quadraticly or quanatatively.  

Title: Re:absorbtion
Post by: Donaldson Tan on December 16, 2004, 10:54:58 AM

hmm.. have u work out the crystalline structure of the salt?

Title: Re:absorbtion
Post by: mi_lan1981 on March 31, 2005, 06:10:30 AM

would you like to tell me about k of adsorption and diffussion, and k equillibre. Thanks.

Title: Re:absorbtion
Post by: Donaldson Tan on March 31, 2005, 07:25:27 AM

the polymeric salt must contain:

1. alot of empty space to contain water molecules
2. plenty of hydrophillic bonding sites
3. extended bonding among water molecules
4. size of water molecules relative to size of pores of at the polymer