Analysis of the Spatial Variation of Crosslink Density in Superabsorbent Polymers

Abstract Superabsorbent polymers are often designed with increased density of crosslinking in the outer layer of the particles in order to improve liquid retention under load. For efficient product design, it is desirable to directly measure the spatial variation in crosslink density. Typically employed techniques (such as solvent uptake or measuring the changes in various mechanical properties such as the modulus) do not provide spatially …