Polyacrylamide

Poly (2- propenamide )

Fixed

0.75-0.95 gcm -3 ( 20 ° C)

Polyacrylamide is a polymer of acrylamide.

Polyacrylamide can be made of acrylamide in aqueous solution by free radical polymerization. The reaction can be initiated, for example ammonium persulfate (APS) as free-radical initiator and catalyzed by tetramethylethylenediamine ( TEMED ).

Polyacrylamide is water soluble or at least it is swollen by water. Dilute aqueous solutions of polyacrylamides with low molecular weights have a higher viscosity than pure water. Upon addition of small amounts of high molecular weight polyacrylamide to water a gel whose consistency of jello is about the same results.

Acrylamide is in the unpolymerized form of a neurotoxin in the polymerized form, it is harmless.

Application

• Polyacrylamide gel used in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
• It is used as a gelling agent in the cosmetics industry.
• It is used as an aid in the oil extraction used ( tertiary oil recovery, polymer flooding ).
• Copolymers with cationic esterquats are used in papermaking as a retention aid and as a flocculant in waste water technology.
• Copolymers with acrylic acid, especially when they are crosslinked with polyfunctional acrylates may be used as superabsorbents in diapers, for example.