Duhok polytechnic university

Faculty of Petrochemical Engineering

School of polymer

Laboratory of POLYMER EXPERIMENT NUMBER THREE

Cross-linked biodegradable polymers
(poly vinyl alcohol)producing slime
Instructor: Mr. arqam
Author Name: 1-Kamyar Fars 2-Dana Kamal 3-Aso Muhammad
4-BakhtyarWali 5- Bryar Hussen
Experiment Contacted on: 14/APR/2018
Report Submitted on: 21/APR /2018
Group: B
Objective:-
*to produce biodegradable polymer from poly vinyl alcohol (PVA)and borax
* understanding the properties of hydrogel if its prepare by these materials.
INTRODUCTION
Hydrogels are three-dimensional, hydrophilic, polymeric networks capable of
absorbing large amounts of water or biological fluids. Due to their high water
content, porosity and soft consistency, they closely simulate natural living
tissue, more than any other class of synthetic biomaterials.
Hydrogels may be chemically stable or they may degrade and eventually
disintegrate and Dissolve.
They are prepared from materials such as gelatin, polysaccharides, cross-
linked polyacrylamide polymers, polyelectrolyte complexes, and polymers or
copolymers derived from methacrylate esters. They are insoluble in water and
are available in dry or hydrated sheets or as a hydrated gel in drug delivery
systems designed for single use .
Furthermore, hydrogels can be formulated in a variety of physical forms,
including slabs, micro particles, nanoparticles, coatings, and films. As a result,
hydrogels are commonly used in clinical practice and medicine with a wide
range of applications, including Tissue Engineering
and Regenerative Medicine, Diagnostics, Cellular immobilization, Separation
of biomolecules or cells, and barrier materials to regulate biological
adhesions.
These unique physical properties of hydrogels have stimulated particular
interest in their use in drug delivery applications. Their highly porous
structure can easily be tuned by controlling the density of cross-links in the
gel matrix and the affinity of the hydrogels for the aqueous environment in
which they are swollen .
Their porosity also permits loading of drugs into the gel matrix and subsequent
drug release at a rate dependent on the diffusion coefficient of a small
molecule or a macromolecule through the gel network .
Since the polymer cannot dissolve due to the covalent crosslinks, water
uptakes far in excess of those achievable with hydrophilic linear polymers can
be obtained .
Indeed, the benefits of hydrogels for drug delivery may be largely
pharmacokinetic – specifically
that a depot formulation is created from which drugs elute slowly, maintaining
a high local concentration of drug in the surrounding tissues over an extended
period of time, although they can also be used for systemic delivery .
Hydrogels are also generally highly biocompatible, which may be attributed
to the high water content of hydrogels. Biodegradability or dissolution in case
of hydrogels may be brought about by enzymatic, hydrolytic, or
environmental (e.g. pH, temperature, or electric field) pathways;
however, degradation is not always desirable depending on the time frame and
location of the drug delivery device .
Hydrogels are relatively deformable and can conform to the shape of the
surface onto which they are applied. In the latter context, the muco adhesive
or bio adhesive properties of some hydrogels can be advantageous by keeping
them immobilized at the site of application or in applying them on surfaces
that are not horizontal. However the amount and homogeneity of drug loading
into hydrogels may be limited, particularly in the case of hydrophobic
drugs.The high water content and large pore sizes of most hydrogels often
result in relatively rapid drug release, over a period of few hours to a few days.
Ease of application can also be problematic; although some hydrogels are
sufficiently deformable to be injectable, many are not, necessitating surgical
implantation
Theory
Polyvinyl Alcohol Slime
In this experiment, a polymer (polyvinyl alcohol) chemically reacts with
borax to form a cross-linked polymer network. Individual polymer chains
are formed by covalent bonds, which are strong bonds. In making slime, the
individual polymer chains are bound together by weak hydrogen bonds. The
resulting polymer network is composed of strands of polyvinyl alcohol held
together side-by-side by the borate molecules. It is evident that this
crosslinking is weak because of the ease with which the slime flows and
pulls apart. However, even though this crosslinking is weak, it does alter the
properties of the resulting polymer.

Toy stores carry the materials needed for this experiment in kits (look for
"slime" or "goop"), or the final product can be purchased as Gak. The slime
mixture is non-toxic, but the borax and PVOH can be irritating to the eyes,
so use safety glasses and wash hands at the end of the experiment.
 Factors that affect on hydrogel

Procedure
I. In beaker, (1 g) of poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) in (25 ml) of water (D.W.)
(4%) solution, then heat the solution at 50-60 C with stirring until a clear
solution is appeared
2. Simultaneously, prepare another solution of (0.325 g) of borax in
(6.5ml) of D.W. (5%) solution.
3. To achieve complete dissolution, it is convenient to gently warm the
mixture at a temperature not exceeding 50°C.
4. At this point, add a few drops of food coloring (tartrazine) or
fluorescein to the appeared. dissolution of alcohol, and mix both
solutions by glass rod until slime hydrogel forms.
5. A slime forms quickly and can be stored in a plastic bag with self-
closing
mechanism to prevent drying.
Discussion:
i. Pull the slime apart slowly. What happens?
 The slime is still and didn’t cut.
2. Pull the slime apart sh.arply and quickly. What happens?
 The slime cut after apart sharply
3. Roll the slime into a bail and drop it on to the bench. What happens?
 The ball is flexible and still
4. Place a small bit of slime on the bench and hit it hard with your hand.
What happens?
 The ball is still and didn’t broke
5. Place a very small piece of slime in a Petri dish. Add the dilute
hydrochloric acid dropwise, stirring well after each drop. When you
notice a change record the number of drops added and your
observations.?
 We add 5 drop of HCl and decomposition happened and
color changed with the PH.
6. Now add dilute sodium hydroxide solution to the same sample used
above in 6, stirring after each drop. When you notice a change record
the number of drops added and your observations.?
The solution returned to hydrogel