Drying process in vapor swollen heterogels

Abstract

Disk-shaped heterogels were prepared by combining methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene (S) with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) as a crosslinker agent in the presence of 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN). Swelling experiments were performed under chloroform vapor and the swollen gels are then allowed to dry under room temperature. Gravimetric technique was used to study drying processes. It is observed that two different regimes are present in the drying processes of these heterogels. Fickian diffusion model was used to determine desorption coefficients for each drying step in both regimes. Desorption coefficients, D (d), of heterogels were found to be strongly correlated with the mixture composition of polymeric materials in the heterogel system for both regimes. Heterogels with high S content dry much slower than the heterogels with low S content.