INFLUENCE OF THE CROSS-LINKER REACTIVITY ON THE FORMATION OF INHOMOGENEITIES IN HYDROGELS

Polyacrylamide hydrogels cross-linked with different types and concent rations of crosslinkers were prepared and characterized by means of st atic light scattering and elasticity measurements. Big differences in the excess light scattering revealed different tendencies of the netwo rks to form polymer agglomerations and inhomogeneities. Furthermore, t he efficiency of the cross-linking reaction changed with the type of c ross-linker chosen. A correlation between these two properties has bee n observed and attributed to the different reactivities of the cross-l inker molecules.