Patent ID: 7939578

Claim:
A method of making a polymeric fiber, the method comprising: providing a precursor composition comprising: a) at least 5 weight percent polar solvent based on a total weight of the precursor composition, wherein the polar solvent comprises water and is not reactive in the precursor composition; and b) polymerizable material capable of free-radical polymerization and having an average number of ethylenically unsaturated groups per monomer molecule greater than 1.0, wherein the polymerizable material is miscible with the polar solvent; forming a stream of the precursor composition; and exposing the stream to radiation for a time sufficient to at least partially polymerize the polymerizable material and to form a first swollen polymeric fiber having an aspect ratio greater than 3:1, wherein the first swollen polymeric fiber is a hydrogel swollen with the polar solvent.