Patent ID: 6872787

Claim:
A past-treatment process for making an inkjet printable, polymeric composition or a strongly-swellable polymeric hydrogel which comprises providing a stable, aqueous two-phase polymeric composition by the steps of forming a reaction mixture in a reaction vessel of a water-soluble vinyl monomer, optionally with one or more water-soluble comonomers, a predetermined amount of a first crosslinking agent, and water, heating the mixture, then periodically adding a predetermined amount of a free radical initiator, and polymerizing at a suitable temperature, optionally removing said resultant two-phase polymeric composition from the reaction vessel, including an added active material, adding a predetermined amount of a post-treatment crosslinker, optionally blending a proteinaceous and/or water compatible material thereto, optionally coating the mixture onto a support, and optionally heating the mixture.