Patent ID: 8653321
Filing Date: 2014-02-18
Classification: G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method for determining the intrinsic gel strength of a water-absorbing hydrogel-forming polymeric material, comprising the steps of: a) obtaining a hydrogel of the water-absorbing polymeric material, comprising at least about 5 g/g, of an aqueous liquid; b) optionally shaping the hydrogel of step a) in the form of a test sample hydrogel; c) submitting the hydrogel of step a) or of the optional step b) to a controlled shear strain application step and measuring the shear stress or measuring the shear strain; d) determining from the measured stress or strain of step c), the shear modulus of the hydrogel; e) determining the liquid content of the hydrogel (“test capacity”) to be tested, or tested in step d), to determine the intrinsic gel strength of the water-absorbent hydrogel-forming polymer at the “test capacity”; f) obtaining in step a) or in the optional step b) multiple hydrogels, comprising different water-absorbent polymeric material, having each a different chemical and/or physical property, and comprising a pre-determined amount of liquid (“test capacity”); and g) comparing the shear modulus values obtained in step d) for each hydrogel of step a), and/or the intrinsic gel strength obtained in step d) for each hydrogel of step a), to predict the influence of the difference in the chemical or physical property on the intrinsic gel strength.