Engineered High Swelling Hydrogels

Abstract

High swelling hydrogels (HSHs) are materials with the ability to swell to a large size in an aqueous medium. The swelling feature and mechanical properties of the HSH polymers depend on many factors. Therefore, the HSH properties can be engineered to tailor a hydrogels for a specific application. This chapter begins with the HSH anatomy and its engineering aspects, and continues with the purity of hydrogels and the sources of impurities in HSH polymers. The characterization of HSH polymers includes swelling determination, mechanical properties, and analytical issues, which will be discussed with a focus on both practical and theoretical aspects. Since final hydrogels properties are closely related to the level of its stability, this aspect is discussed by explaining the sources of instability, which potentially threaten the hydrogels properties. The chapter ends with two important groups of hydrogels that have been suggested and engineered for specific applications in pharmaceutical area.