The Importance of the Mixing Energy in Ionized Superabsorbent Polymer Swelling Models
The Flory−Rehner theoretical description of the free energy in a hydrogel swelling model can be broken into two swelling components: the mixing energy and the ionic energy. Conventionally for ionized gels, the ionic energy is characterized as the main contributor to swelling and, therefore...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-03-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/12/3/609 |
| _version_ | 1811341484602949632 |
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| author | Eanna Fennell Juliane Kamphus Jacques M. Huyghe |
| author_facet | Eanna Fennell Juliane Kamphus Jacques M. Huyghe |
| author_sort | Eanna Fennell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Flory−Rehner theoretical description of the free energy in a hydrogel swelling model can be broken into two swelling components: the mixing energy and the ionic energy. Conventionally for ionized gels, the ionic energy is characterized as the main contributor to swelling and, therefore, the mixing energy is assumed negligible. However, this assumption is made at the equilibrium state and ignores the dynamics of gel swelling. Here, the influence of the mixing energy on swelling ionized gels is quantified through numerical simulations on sodium polyacrylate using a Mixed Hybrid Finite Element Method. For univalent and divalent solutions, at initial porosities greater than 0.90, the contribution of the mixing energy is negligible. However, at initial porosities less than 0.90, the total swelling pressure is significantly influenced by the mixing energy. Therefore, both ionic and mixing energies are required for the modeling of sodium polyacrylate ionized gel swelling. The numerical model results are in good agreement with the analytical solution as well as experimental swelling tests. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:55:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ea45fb8f5cde4e3daf86c8cc0d7398dc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:55:54Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-ea45fb8f5cde4e3daf86c8cc0d7398dc2022-12-22T02:34:15ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602020-03-0112360910.3390/polym12030609polym12030609The Importance of the Mixing Energy in Ionized Superabsorbent Polymer Swelling ModelsEanna Fennell0Juliane Kamphus1Jacques M. Huyghe2Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Castletroy, V94 T9PX Limerick, IrelandProcter & Gamble Service GmbH, Sulzbacher Straße 40, 65824 Schwalbach am Taunus, GermanyBernal Institute, University of Limerick, Castletroy, V94 T9PX Limerick, IrelandThe Flory−Rehner theoretical description of the free energy in a hydrogel swelling model can be broken into two swelling components: the mixing energy and the ionic energy. Conventionally for ionized gels, the ionic energy is characterized as the main contributor to swelling and, therefore, the mixing energy is assumed negligible. However, this assumption is made at the equilibrium state and ignores the dynamics of gel swelling. Here, the influence of the mixing energy on swelling ionized gels is quantified through numerical simulations on sodium polyacrylate using a Mixed Hybrid Finite Element Method. For univalent and divalent solutions, at initial porosities greater than 0.90, the contribution of the mixing energy is negligible. However, at initial porosities less than 0.90, the total swelling pressure is significantly influenced by the mixing energy. Therefore, both ionic and mixing energies are required for the modeling of sodium polyacrylate ionized gel swelling. The numerical model results are in good agreement with the analytical solution as well as experimental swelling tests.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/12/3/609ionized hydrogelsswellingmixing energyflory–rehner theoryfinite deformationflory–huggins equationsodium polyacrylatesuperabsorbent polymerpolymer mechanics |
| spellingShingle | Eanna Fennell Juliane Kamphus Jacques M. Huyghe The Importance of the Mixing Energy in Ionized Superabsorbent Polymer Swelling Models Polymers ionized hydrogels swelling mixing energy flory–rehner theory finite deformation flory–huggins equation sodium polyacrylate superabsorbent polymer polymer mechanics |
| title | The Importance of the Mixing Energy in Ionized Superabsorbent Polymer Swelling Models |
| title_full | The Importance of the Mixing Energy in Ionized Superabsorbent Polymer Swelling Models |
| title_fullStr | The Importance of the Mixing Energy in Ionized Superabsorbent Polymer Swelling Models |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Importance of the Mixing Energy in Ionized Superabsorbent Polymer Swelling Models |
| title_short | The Importance of the Mixing Energy in Ionized Superabsorbent Polymer Swelling Models |
| title_sort | importance of the mixing energy in ionized superabsorbent polymer swelling models |
| topic | ionized hydrogels swelling mixing energy flory–rehner theory finite deformation flory–huggins equation sodium polyacrylate superabsorbent polymer polymer mechanics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/12/3/609 |
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