Pfizer Education Initiative

ala Super
KaZOO ala KASAM
Absorbent Polymers
+ Water =
Polymer is a Greek word that means “many parts” (poly = many, meros
= parts). The simplest definition of a polymer is something made of
many units. Think of a polymer as a chain. This can be
demonstrated using a long chain of paperclips.

Super absorbent polymers encompass a number of polymers all having the basic ability to
absorb massive quantities of water. They soak up water using the process of
osmosis (water molecules pass through a barrier from one side to the other). When
water comes in contact with the polymer, it moves from outside the polymer to the
inside and causes it to swell. The polymer chains have an elastic quality, but they
can stretch only so far and hold just so much water.

Four commonly used super absorbent polymers include sodium

polyacrylate, polyacrylamide crystals, polyacrylamide plant spikes, and
Gro-Creatures. While each polymer may have a somewhat different
mechanism used to achieve the super-absorbing phenomenon and the
rates of absorption can differ, they all effectively absorb water. All are
essentially hydrophilic (water loving) non-toxic cross-linked polymers
that can absorb several hundred times their weight in water, but cannot
dissolve because of their three-dimensional polymeric network
structure. They are fascinating materials and very versatile because of
their unique solubility and transport properties. The liquid-like
properties result from the fact that the polymer is composed almost
entirely of water. However, the polymer also exhibits solid-like
properties due to the network formed by the cross-linking reaction.
Composed of potassium, carbon, and nitrogen, these polymers are
currently being used in many areas such as pharmaceuticals, food
packaging, paper production, the horticultural industry, and oil drilling.
Everyday examples include gelatin, disposable diapers, contact lenses,
and even gravy.

Sodium Polyacrylate
The Super Slurper
Sodium polyacrylate is nicknamed the "super slurper" because of its
ability to absorb as much as 400-800 times its mass in water. These
polymers were originally developed by The Department of Agriculture
from hydrolyzed starch and polyacrylonitrile, but today a much more
absorbent, totally synthetic polymer has been developed. The powder
we find in today’s disposable diapers is made from sodium salts cross-
linked with polyacrylic acid to form sodium polyacrylate.
Polymerization produces a linear molecule that has a very high
molecular weight usually greater than one million molecular units.
Lesson Plan Insta-Snow is perfectly safe to
touch and squeeze. As with any
Insta- now chemical, do not put Insta-Snow in
Materials your mouth or eyes. Flush with
Insta-snow
Distilled or Deionized water generous amount of water if it does
Graduated cylinder get into the eyes or mouth.
Teaspoon or available Insta-snow scoop
Cups or bowls

Procedure
1. Let each student take one scoopful (3 grams) of insta-snow and place it in a
clear cup or plastic bowl. Another way to measure is to use balance and
weigh boat.
2. Using a graduated cylinder, have them measure out 50-60 ml of distilled
water and add to the Insta-snow.
3. Watch how they react to the results.

Explanation

Insta-snow is an amazing super absorbent polymer, sodium polyacrylate, which turns

ordinary water into a white fluffy substance that looks like real snow! This faux
snow is so realistic that it is used on movie sets and indoor snowboarding parks.

Scientists accidentally created a variation of the diaper polymer that was far more fluffy
when it absorbed water. Insta-snow soaks up water using the process of osmosis
(water passing through a barrier from one side to the other). When water comes in
contact with the polymer, it moves from the outside of the polyer to the inside and
causes it to swell. The polymer chains have an elastic quality, but they can stretch
only so far and hold just so much water. Add a little water and your Insta-Snow
expands to 100 times its original size. Let the students feel the insta-snow and
acknowledge how cool it feels. This is the water evaporating off the polymer that
gives it a cooling effect. If you allow the insta-snow to dry and all the water has
completely evaporated, the original amount of insta-snow should be recovered.
This proves that the reaction is a physical rather than a chemical reaction.

To get a reaction from the students, tell them that Insta-Snow is similar to the super-
absorbent polymers found in diapers (next activity). When water is added to a
diaper, the polymer quickly turns into a gel-like solid. Insta-snow, on the other
hand, becomes very fluffy when water is added. Both polymers look and feel the
same before water is added; however, Insta-snow has much higher degree of
“cross-linking” between the long chains of molecules. This tightly cross-linked
network rapidly unfolds when it comes in contact with water which accounts for its
greater ability to swell up into a fluffy material.
Insta-Snow Mixing Ratios
Powder Water
1 blue scoop 2 oz
1 teaspoon 2 oz
1 tablespoon 6 oz
Metric
3 grams 60 ml
50 grams 1200 ml
190 grams 3800 ml (1 gallon)
Other Activities
 Experiment with different mixing ratios of powder to water to find the perfect
fluffy snow mixtures
 Compare qualities of Insta-snow with polymer found in disposable diapers
 Put some Insta-snow in the freezer (should freeze in about 8 hours)

Super Absorbent Polymers in Diapers

Materials:

 diaper (large, disposable and super-absorbent)

CAUTION:
 zip-closing plastic bag (1 qt or 1 gallon size)
 scissors The powder found in the
 tap water diaper (sodium polyacrylate)
 distilled water will irritate the nasal
 salt water (0.9% NaCl solution) membranes if inhaled. Avoid
 small cups eye contact; if it gets into eyes,
 clear plastic cups they will become dry and
 measuring spoons or pipettes/droppers
irritated.
Procedure

1. Let student work in pairs or in groups of three. Have each student use a pair of
scissors to cut the diaper in half (in the middle). Make sure that both ends remain
upright. Place the open middle part of the diaper downward into the plastic bag.

2. Pull open and separate the cotton, paper, and plastic layers of the diaper and
shake the sodium polyacrylate to the bottom of the bag. Look at the bottom of the
bag as you tilt it to one side. You should notice white granules collecting in the
corner of the bag.

3. Now, remove the first half of the diaper and do the same with the second half.
Try not to shake or pull the cotton out of the diaper. If large pies of material or
cotton get mixed in with the sodim polyacrylate, close the bag, move the cotton,
plastic, or other large pieces of material toward the top of the bag. Keep the
material up there as you shake the bag again. This will allow the granules to fall
down to the bottom without getting picked up by the cotton again.

4. After you have about teaspoon of granules in the corner of the bag, slowly
open the bag and remove the large pieces of material. Throw them away.

6. Add 1/2 teaspoon of granules to each of the three clear cups labeled, “distilled
water”, “tap water”, and “salt water”. Mats with circles can be used to place the
three cups used for the 3 different solutions. The salt water is a 0.9% solution,
approximate concentrate of salt in urine.

7. Add 1 tablespoon or a specific volume (i.e. 10-mL via a syringe) of each type
of water to the appropriate cup. Watch the granules to see if they will absorb the
water. Keep adding the same measured amount at a time until it appears that the
granules are no longer absorbing the water. Record how many tablespoons or
total volume of each of the liquid you added.

8. To the distilled or deionized water cup, add 1 tablespoon of table salt and stir.
What happens? Why?

The electrolyte concentration in water being absorbed greatly affects the amount of water
which can be absorbed per gram of polymer. For Example:
 The super absorbent will absorb about 800 times its own weight in distilled water.
 The same polymer will absorb only about 300 times its own weight in tap water.
 This polymer will absorb only about 60 times its weight of 0.9% sodium chloride
solution. (Similar to the NaCl concentration of urine.) Explain.

Sodium polyacrylate is termed a hydrophilic or "water-loving" polymer

because of its great affinity for water. So how does this polymer work?
In the dry powdered state the chains of the polymer are coiled and lined
with carboxyl groups or ( -COOH ). When it is put into water, it just breaks apart
into positive and negative ions as sodium chloride.

H 2O
[ CH2 CH2]n [ CH2 CH2]n + Na+

C O C O
-
O + O-
Na

Normal uncharged polymer molecules, when they're in solution tend to be tangled up in

what big shot scientists call a random coil,
When hydrated with water, the carboxyl groups dissociate into
negatively charged carboxylate ions ( COO-1 ). These ions repel one
another along the polymer chain thereby widening the polymer coils
allowing water to move into contact with more carboxyl groups. As the
polymer continues to uncoil the ultimate swelling forms a gel-like
consistency. The polymer does not form a solution because it still has
cross-linking due to hydrogen bonding where hydrogen atoms in water
are being attracted to the oxygen atom in the carboxylate ions between
chains.

To reliquify the gelled polymer for disposal purposes, common table salt
is added. When salt is added, each ion of sodium ( Na ) and each ion of
chlorine ( Cl- ) is quickly surrounded by six molecules of water which is
drawn out from the polymer-water complex. The presence of sodium
chloride in the solution greatly decreases the ability of polyacrylate to
absorb and retain water. In the case of a negatively charged polyelectrolyte, the
positively charged Na+ ions will get in between the negative charges on the polymer, and
cancel them out in effect. When this happens, the polymer chain collapses back into random
coil again
Other ionic compounds such as baking soda or vinegar can also be
used. Once the gel has been liquefied, it can be safely poured down the
drain.

The practical application for this super absorber was realized in the
early 1980's when the Japanese marketed the first successful
disposable diaper. Later, other applications such as fuel filters and
feminine hygiene products followed.

Other activities
The Pouring Test Determine the amount of water a disposable diaper can hold by slowly
pouring about 1/4 cup (approximately 50 ml) of warm tap water into the center of the
diaper. Holding the diaper over a dishpan or sink, and continue to add increments of
water. Tip the diaper back and forth after adding water each time. Record the amount of
water the diaper holds before it becomes saturated and steadily leaks. Try testing different
brands of diapers.

Polyacrylamide Crystals
Polyacrylamide "Spikes"
A similar polymer, polyacrylamide, (Soil Moist and Soil Moist Spikes ) is
sold in nurseries as a soil conditioner to hold water in the soil. Super
absorbent crystals are cross-linked polyacrylamide copolymer.

Lesson Plan Super absorbent crystals

Materials are non-hazardous but
 Super Absorbent Crystals with every chemical use
 Potting Soil caution. Flush affected
area with water. Flush
 Bean, grass, radish or other fast-starting seeds
 Cups eyes with water for 15
 Plastic Spoons minutes and see a
physician. Do not ingest.
Procedure
Have the hydrated crystals ready for the students.
1. Using plastic spoons have the students fill one cup with just dirt
and another cup with half gel crystals mixed with half dirt.
2. Using their finger, have them push 2-3 seeds as recommended
on the package of seeds and cover the seeds.
3. Place cups in a sunny place and have the students record their
observations. How many days did it take for each of the cups to
germinate? Students can measure the height of the plants as
they grow and create a chart of days versus inches or millimeters
(centimeters) of growth for both cups over a period of time.

Polyacrylamide is crosslinked with a bisacrylamide and this copolymer

is not affected by salts in water or soil. A major difference between the
sodium polyacrylate polymer and the polyacrylamide polymer is that
polyacrylate has a sodium ( Na+ ) while the polyacrylamide has an
amide ( NH2 ). The sodium ion works more efficiently and will absorb
approximately 800 times its weight in distilled water while the amide
ion is considerably less efficient in its water absorbing ability and will
only absorb around 40-200 times its weight in water. This lack of ionic
strength in the polyacrylamide polymer greatly reduces its water
absorbing characteristics.

Demonstration
1. A very common demo is for a teacher to grow some of the "ghost crystals"
in water.
2. Carefully insert a needle with thread through the hydrated crystal and
lower the crystal into the water.
3. Ask the students what they see. They should only be able to see the
thread hanging in the water. Gently rise the crystal out of the
water and watch their reactions!

An interesting physics application created by

polyacrylamide is its ability to effectively mimic the optical
qualities of water. Because the crystals of the
polyacrylamide when hydrated are made up almost entirely
of water, they essentially "look" like water and light will
pass from the surrounding water into the crystal without
being refracted at all. These crystals are sometimes referred to as
"ghost crystals" because when hydrated the crystal is almost invisible
in a glass of water. A fully-grown hydrated crystal contains so much
water that optically it behaves like water. Light does not bend or
become distorted as it passes from water into the crystal. However,
when the crystal is lifted into air, it becomes visible because the speed
of light in the crystal is different from the speed of light in air.

Other Uses
Polyacrylamide "spikes" are used commercially in the horticulture
industry to absorb and release water or fertilizer to individual plants
and thus are a favorite of gardeners who do not have a green thumb.
Much like the crystal, the spike has a limited ability to absorb vast
quantities of water. Its value is that it can be hydrated and dehydrated
a seemingly unlimited amount of times over the course of from 2-3
years according to the manufacturer. This quality also makes it a
favorite of teachers on a budget to investigate diffusion and for
students to practice measurement skills with the hydrated and
dehydrated spikes. A growing biological application is the controlled
release of pharmaceutical agents or even fertilizer from the matrix.

Cold crystals: Place a zipper lock bag of jelly-like crystals in the freezer
and examine it after 12 hours. Compare how long the crystals stay cold
as oppose to a same size bag of ice. The polymer crystals should hold
the cold 2.5 times longer than ordinary ice.

Gro-Creatures
Gro-Creatures are toys shaped like dinosaurs, alligators, lizards, and
other assorted animals that increase in size when placed in water.
These interesting creatures are made up of two polymers: One is poly
(vinyl acetate) which keeps the original proportions and the color of the
"creature" and the other is polyacrylamide which is the super absorbent
material. These critters can be dried out and rehydrated over and over
again since the super absorbing material is polyacrylamide. They have
a number of classroom activities connected with science such as
observations, data collection, graphing, making hypotheses, following a
time sequence, drawing conclusions, and measurement using linear,
mass, and volume.

Included in the kit are an alligator that was hydrated in tap water and
another in distilled or deionized water. These can be rehydrated for
demonstration. As a classroom activity, leave one fresh alligator and/or
lizard to be used for measurement in the classroom.

1. Measure and record the length of your alligator and/or lizard in

inches and in centimeters.
2. Place the alligator and/or lizard in large plastic containers filled
with distilled, deionized or filtered water (i.e. Brita filtered
water). Hard water has minerals that will interfere with the
growth of the alligator and/or lizard.
3. Measure and your alligator and/or lizard every day and record the
measurement. If you have both, you can compare growth daily.
4. Make a graph of your measurement.
5. If comparing both, see how long each takes to finish growing.
After growing, take your alligator and/or lizard out of the water
and allow it/them to shrink.
6. Measure your alligator and/or lizard as it shrinks. How many days
does it take your alligator and/or lizard to get back to its normal
size? Which occurred faster (growth or shrinkage)?
7. Place your alligator and/or lizard back into the water. Does it grow
to the same size as it did before? Did it grow faster or slower. Can
you figure out why?

Some words of caution relating to the use of these creatures include:

1. Don’t allow the critters to remain in the water once they have
reached their maximum size.
2. Placing the critters in boiling water will cause the creature to
disintegrate.

Envioro-bond 403A Hydrocarbon Stabilization Polymer Lesson

Although Enviro-Bond 403 is not classified as a super-

absorbent polymer since it does not absorb 25 times its weight
on a weight to weight ratio, it has been added to the kit to
demonstrate a hydrophobic, oil absorbing polymer.

Oil is a major source of ground water contamination and waste

management problems. The vast majority of this oil enters the ocean
from ship oil spills during petroleum transport or from land
manufacturing operations. Oil can also seep into the ocean naturally
from cracks in the sea floor. Oil well and oil tanker accidents can have
lasting effects.

Oil stabilizing polymer called Enviro-Bond 403 is especially formulated to bond quickly
and safely to many types of hydrocarbon liquids including crude oil, diesel fuel and
gasoline. The bonding is do complete that it literally encapsulates the liquid hydrocarbons
in just minutes.
Hydrocarbon Time Temperature Ratio by Weight
(minutes) (ºF) (Polymer:Hydrocarb
on)
Crude Oil 5 70 1:1
Diesel Fuel 5 70 1:6
Gasoline 5 70 1:15

Hydrocarbon (crude oil, diesel fuel, gasoline, etc.) consists of three

basic components: Paraffinics, naptinics, and aromatics. The polymer is
specifically formulated to bond to these components. The mechanism
is three dimensional with cross-link bonding, and the polymer
structures are referred to as dieblock, triblock, branched, radial and
linear. When the polymer comes into contact with the liquid
hydrocarbon, the free hydrocarbons bond to the polymer forming a
solid mass. The hydrophobic properties of the polymer cause it to float
on the water, there is no need for mixing since the density of the
polymer is great enough to allow it to sink through the hydrocarbon
and maximize the bonding potential.

Suggested Demonstration

Materials
600-ml beaker
Wax paper
Marvel Mystery Oil
ENVIRO-BOND 403 polymer
Gloves, spoon, scoop

This demonstration is greatly enhanced if you do not show

your students the polymer until they are given the opportunity
o come up with their own oil spill cleaning solution.

Fill a 600-ml beaker with 500-ml of tap water. Add approximately 50 ml

of Marvel Mystery Oil or enough to form a thin layer on the surface of
the water. Discuss oil spills and how it affects the environment like
birds, fish, and recreational areas. When oil gets onto the feathers of a
bird, it makes it harder for the birds to stay warm because it makes the
bird less water proof. Oil on the fir of sea mammals, such as otters or
seals, also reduces their ability to stay warm. If they ingest the oil, it
will weaken the animal. Ask them what they would use to clean up the
oil spill.

Discuss some of the traditional ways to clean up oil spills:

 1. Placing a ring of floating devices around the spill to prevent it
from spreading and then siphoning the oil off by using pumps or
skimming devices.
2. Sheets or particles of floating oil absorbing material such as saw
dust and spun fabrics can be used to recover spilled oil. These
however may cause serious land fill problems.
3. Burning the oil cleans up the spill but in turn causes air pollution.
4. Detergents help break up or disperse the oil spills but can cause
harm to marine life.
5. High pressure hoses with 140ºF water heated on barges are used
to blast oil from the surface of rocks. This unfortunately kills
shoreline bacteria useful to the environment.
6. The use of microorganisms to “eat” the oil

Add just enough of the polymer to completely cover the oil. The
polymer will form a sponge-like matrix that floats on the surface of the
water. When all the oil is absorbed and bonded, remove using your
gloved hand, spoon or scoop and place it on a piece of wax paper. As
the polymer dries, it becomes firm and rubbery. The free molecules
find bonding sites and become three dimensionally entangled with the
polymer structure.

This material can be shaped into a ball and bounced. On a large-scale

crude oil clean-up, the solidified oil can be recovered and turned into a
solid fuel source.

This polymer will not work on other types of oil such as motor oil or
vegetable oil since these oils do not have the necessary hydrocarbon
components as mentioned above.

Tying in the hydrocarbon stabilization polymer and super-

absorbent polymers:
Demonstrate the absorbing properties of sodium polyacrylate in
conjunction with the oil polymer bonding characteristics. Sodium
polyacrylate, a super absorbent water polymer that has no affinity for
liquid hydrocarbons. Similarly, the oil polymer has no affinity for water.

Fill the 600-ml beaker with 300 ml of water and 50 ml of Marvel

Mystery Oil. Add 2 teaspoons of sodium polyacrylate and watch the
polymer absorb the water, leaving the oil untouched. After the
polyacrylate absorbs the water, add just enough oil absorbing polymer
to bond to the Marvel Mystery oil. During the demonstration, stress the
difference between the super-absorbent polymer and the hydrocarbon
stabilization polymer.

Major oil spills…

  June 1979, an oil well blew out off the east coast of Mexico and
spilled about 130 million gallons of oil
 March 1978, a tanker ran aground off the coast of France, spilling
68 million gallons of oil
 March 1989 a tanker ran aground off Alaska and leaked more
than 10 million gallons of oil

References:

Buchholz and Peppas, Super absorbent Polymers, ACS Symposium Series, 1994.

Buchholz and Graham, Modern Super absorbent Polymer Technology, John Wiley &
Sons, 1998.

Absorbent Polymers: AMCOL International, 1996

Flory, Principles of Polymer Chemisty, Cornell U. Press, 1953.

American Chemical Society, November 18, 2003 Diapers – The inside story.

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