Diaper+Absorbency

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 * The Absorbency of Diapers Based on Polymer Content
 * ABSORBENCY OF DIAPERS. Stephanie.** The purpose of this experiment was to determine if there was a relationship between the weight and absorbency of diapers based on their polymer content. By doing so, 7 cm x 7 cm cutouts of four different brands of diapers were submerged individually in 500 mL of NaCl aqueous solution. This NaCl solution represents typical uric acid which diapers were constructed to absorb. As a result, the most absorbent diaper proved to be the Target Brand, which as an average absorbed 96.0 mL of the solution. The most unreliable brand was Pampers, which absorbed a weak average of 34.3 mL of the solution. The results were only somewhat relative to the mass of each diaper, since Pampers weighed the least at 3.09 g, and the Target Brand’s cutout weighed 4.01 g. However, although Huggies weighed the most, it did not absorb the most; therefore, this proved mass and absorbency are not directly related. The absorbency of diapers depends on the cross-linked chains of sodium acrylate underneath the diaper’s façade. Therefore, this experiment proved different brands of diapers use different chains of sodium acrylate in polymerization for absorbing uric acid, while mass is not a discriminating factor.

Key Words: polymerization, sodium acrylate, cross-linked chains

Results: Water: 500 mL || NaCl: 29.2 g Water: 500 mL || NaCl: 29.2 g Water: 500 mL || NaCl: 29.2 g Water: 500 mL || 404 mL || 459 mL || 466 mL || 419 mL ||
 * **AVERAGES of TRIALS 1, 2, 3** || **Target Brand** || **Baby Basics** || **Pampers** || **Huggies** ||
 * **NaCl Solution measurements** || NaCl: 29.2 g
 * **Volume remaining after absorption** ||
 * **Amount absorbed** || 96.0 mL || 40.7 mL || 34.3 mL || 81.3 mL ||


 * || **Target Brand** || **Baby Basics** || **Pampers** || **Huggies** ||
 * **Mass of Diaper Squares** || 4.01 g || 3.25 g || 3.09 g || 4.52 g ||

Article Summary: This article discussed the synthesis of core-shell latex particles in preparing a latex blend. Through investigation, chemically reactive latexes were determined to have a core-shell structure which could only be altered through a change of crosslinking density both from the addition of crosslinkers and additional heat. The structure of latexes involves a particle design which is used in coatings, adhesives, plastics and biomedicine fields. In latex polymer film, its physical properties depend on a variety of components, which include the macromolecular structure, molecular weight, molecular inter- and intra- chemical crosslinking network structure, and the size of latex particles. The first chemically incorporated groups were hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, which provided reactive sites for cross linking in its main chain of acrylic polymers. When the shell layer went through the stage of polymerization, reactive groups were apart of the copolymer chains on the particle surface. In the study, scientists investigated the two steps which promote emulsion polymerization, where latexes with a core-shell morphology can be synthesized at 60 degrees C. The lab determined that with an increase in temperature, copolymers achieve better physical properties.

Works Cited: Xiang Liu, Xiao-Dong Fan, Min-Feng Tang, Ying Nie. 2008 March. Synthesis and Characterization of Core-Shell Acrylate Based Latex and Study of Its Reactive Blends. Int J Mol Sci. 9(3): 342-354.

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