Patent ID: 7223827

Claim:
A method of making a gel which is not water soluble comprised of making a water soluble polymer of an acrylic acid compound comprising: combining an acrylic acid compound with a reactant selected from the group consisting of a divalent metal salt of said acrylic acid compound, a monovalent metal salt of said acrylic acid compound and mixtures thereof to form a polymer precursor, combining a polymerization initiator with said precursor, permitting said precursor to form said water soluble polymer, and combining said water soluble polymer with a cross linking agent to form said gel; wherein said polymer precursor contains in the range of from about 0.65 to about 2.75 units of said divalent metal salt of said acrylic acid compound per unit of said acrylic acid compound and in the range of from about 0 to about 2.25 units of said monovalent metal salt of said acrylic acid compound per unit of said acrylic acid compound, and said acrylic acid compound is represented by the formula CH 2 ═CR—COOH and R is hydrogen or a methyl group and further wherein said gel is stable at temperatures up to about 450 degrees Fahrenheit.