EXPERIMENT 5:
Polymers
Title:
Polymers
Assessment:
1.) What do you think is the purpose of the vinegar in the first experiment?
White glue is commonly made from a protein in milk called casein. Milk
contains molecules of casein protein. Proteins are sensitive to changes in acidity and
heat. The protein casein is only denatured, or breaks apart, at temperatures above 80°
C (176° F) or when the pH drops below 4.5. Casein is extracted from milk by adding an
acid, such as vinegar, and by adding gentle heat. Milk is an example of colloid, which is
a mixture of liquids and very tiny solid undissolved particles of casein that are evenly
spread throughout the liquid particles. When the acid vinegar is added and with the help
of some heat breaks down the protein casein. This causes the casein to precipitate or
come out of solution and coagulate or clump together into solid lumps called the curd.
The leftover liquid is referred to as whey.
2.) Why is a bases added in the first experiment?
The casein forms the gloppy solid after being filtered from the liquid. Baking
soda which is a base is added to neutralize the acid and change the protein back into a
shape that is more fluid. Since baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a base while the
vinegar or acetic acid is an acid. A chemical reaction between the vinegar which is
already in the solution and the baking soda creates a compound called carbonic acid
which is very unstable, and instantly breaks apart into water and carbon dioxide.
Bubbles are formed due to the reaction which means that the carbon dioxide are being
released. The other reason why a base is added to the solution is to help in neutralizing
the solution.
3.) Why do hydrogels attract and retain water?
The water holding capacity is most important characteristic features of a
hydrogel. The polar hydrophilic functional groups such as carboxyl, hydroxyl, and
sulfonic groups that is attached to the polymeric backbone are the first to be hydrated
upon contact with water which leads to the formation of primary bound water. As a
result, the network swells and exposes the hydrophobic groups which are also capable
of interacting with the water molecules. This leads to the formation of hydrophobically-
bound water, also called ‘secondary bound water’. Primary and secondary bound water
are often combined and called ‘total bound water’. The network will absorb additional
water, due to the osmotic driving force of the network chains towards infinite dilution.
Hydrogel’s ability to attract water may also be attributed to its high molecular weight and
high negative charge, which attracts the positively charge particles in water.
4.) What effect does adding salt in a hydrogel produce?
When salt is added to the hydrogel, salt is attracted and replace the water in
the gel because they are more strongly attracted to the polymer chain than that in the
water. As a result of this loss of water, the gel shrinks and collapses in on itself. But
other researcher finds that the effects vary depending on the type of salt.
According to Higuchi, A. and T. Iijima the addition of salt containing Cl– ions gave the
gel larger adsorption capacity without decreasing the temperature of the gel
significantly. On the contrary, the addition of salt containing SO42– ions increased the
amount of adsorption, while decreasing the temperature of the gel substantially. The
addition of salt affected enormously the structure of water in the salt solution. The
amount of adsorption was enhanced with increasing fraction of bound water in the salt
solution. The fraction of bound water in the solution containing Cl– ions was larger than
that in the solution containing SO42– ions so that the amount of adsorption increased
effectively in the solution containing Cl– ions. The effect of salt on the adsorption
properties of thermosensitive polymer hydrogel is determined by both the temperature of
the gel and the structure of water in the salt solution.
Members:
Ang-Og, Christine
Ardaniel, Maika Leigh Estrada, Clifford
Baldonado, Samantha Leslie Leron, Van Christopher
Celestino, Raiven B. Mendez, Rafael Jr.
Dumas, Shania Plata, Jonalyn
