Synthesis and Characterization of Hydrogel based on Poly (vinylpyrrolidone) and N- hydroxyethyl acrylamide with Agar by Gamma Radiation

Hydrogel products comprise of hydrophilic polymeric materials that can hold a large amount of water in their three-dimensional structure. A series of hydrogels based on poly (vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP), N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide (HEAAm) and Agar have been prepared by applying different gamma radiation (Co-60 gamma source) doses with varying concentration of agar. The effects of Agar concentration on gel fraction, swelling ratio, and mechanical strength have been studied. The obtained hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflection spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR). Results showed that hydrogels were formed in all the applied radiation doses (10 kGy to 30 kGy) with maximum swelling ratio (2200%) at 10 kGy, and gel fraction (93 %) at 30 kGy. The FTIR spectra of prepared hydrogel blend showed characteristic absorption peaks from PVP, HEAAm and Agar. High swelling ratio was observed for all the prepared hydrogels with maximum swelling ratio of 2200% at 0.5% agar. While gel fractions of the prepared hydrogels were decreased from 82% to 71% ,the tensile strength were increased from 5 KPa to 8.4 kPa with increasing the agar content from 0.5 to 2wt%.