TR0700206

Properties of PVP Hydrogels Containing PEG and Agar Prepared by

Electron Beam Irradiation
M. Ghaffari, M. A. Taghavizadeh, G. Mirjalili

Yazd Radiation Processing Center, Yazd, Iran

E-mail address of main author: mghajfari@yrpc.ir

One of the most promising classes of the biomaterials seems to be hydrogels. Hydrogels are
hydrophilic polymeric network which may absorb water in the amount from 10% up to
thousands of times their dry weight [2]. PVP hydrogel has excellent transparency,
compatibility and are widely applied such as wound dressings or drug delivery systems [3].
PVP hydrogel are normally prepared in the presence of PEG as a plasticizer and to modify the
gelation and maximum swelling and in the presence of agar to enhance the mechanical
properties [4]. It has been reported in various literatures manufacturing of PVP hydrogels
using gamma radiation but in this work we use electron beam radiation for crosslinking.
Manufacturing of PVP hydrogels via gamma radiation has been reported in various literatures
but in this work we use electron beam radiation for crosslinking.

The hydrogels were prepared using PVP, PEG and agar. Aqueous solutions of hydrogels
components were prepared. Then the homogenous solutions were formed and irradiated under
10 MeV electron beam by Rhodotron accelerator TT200 model in dose range varied from 15
to 40 kGy to become crosslinked. The hydrogels in the final form were transparent sheets of
few millimeters. Gel fraction, maximum swelling and mechanical properties of the samples
were measured.
100.00 2200
&••-.

2100
80.00
#2000
CD
— 60.00 | 1900
u ' A • - - • «i

o --Sf.-- -,-2r A
M1800
0
40.00 E

| 1700 —•—6%PVP
-4— 6%FVP
--a--- 6% PV P+3% PEG
20.00 ~ » — 6% FV P+3% PEG | 1600
A 6%PVP+6%PEG
•••& 6%PVP+6%PEG
1500
0.00
10 50 1400
20 30 40 10 15 20 40 45
Dose (kGy) Dose
According to the results, the gel fraction of hydrogels increased with the increasing of the
dose and decreased with the increasing of the relative content of PEG in hydrogel. The results
show that the maximum swelling increases with increasing of the PEG concentration, which
is due to a decrease of the crosslink density. The hydrogels containing PVP and PEG (without
gar) were brittle and showed poor mechanical properties. With addition of agar to hydrogels
formulation, the mechanical properties increased, immediately. The hydrogel containing
6%PVP, 6%PEG and 3%agar showed the best mechanical properties in 25 kGy.

[1] J. M. Rosiak, F. Yoshii, Nucl. Instr. & Meth. B151 (1999) 56.
[2] Z. Ajii, I. Othman, J. M. Rosiak, Nucl. Instr. & Meth. B229 (2005) 375.

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