Effects of experimental variables on the synthesis of porous matrices

C.G. GOMEZ; CECILIA I. ALVAREZ IGARZABAL; MIRIAM C. STRUMIA; BERNABE L. RIVAS; PATRICIO REYES

JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE

JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Año: 2001 vol. 79 p. 920 - 927

0021-8995

Macroporous beads, poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate-co-acrylic acid),poly(EGDMA-co-HEMA) were prepared by the suspension polymerization technique in the presence of a porogen agent. Different experimental conditions such as amount of initiatior, porogen type, and temperature were studied to optimize the polymerization systems. These hydrophilic copolymers were characterized by IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, specific surface area, and swelling in water. A new parameter, H, defined as the ratio between the equilibrium weight swelling ratio (qw) and equilibrium volume swelling ratio (qv), allowed to select the reaction conditions from which matrices with high capacity of water sorption and low streching degree were reached.