Influence of the Crosslinking Ion’s Valence on Hydrogel’s Final Properties

Interpenetrating hydrogels with advanced stiffness were prepared from the iron-alginate and cross-linked poly(acrylamide). Multiple approaches were combined in order to prepare hydrogels with mechanical properties required for various biomedical applications.

Final properties of these materials were studied in terms of their water content and elastic modulus. Special attention was paid to describe the relationship between final properties and the nature of alginate crosslinks (bivalent or trivalent ions).

Parameters such as concentration and nature of the alginate, crosslinking density of poly(acrylamide) network, IPN formation procedure were studied and adapted for obtaining the desired materials. Compared to the simultaneous synthesis procedure, the two-step process was found to be absolutely necessary for effective miscibility of two highly crosslinked networks.

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Foundations of Chemical Kinetic Modeling, Reaction Models and Reactor Scale-Up

The majority of manuscripts dealing with the subject of chemical reactions, detailed chemical reaction models, and chemical kinetics present the material with strong mathematical foundations and emphasis.

This is the reason for the conceptual approach taken in this manuscript where the result of the application of theory in the form of mathematical models is not the major consideration but the understanding of the fundamental concepts behind the complex mathematical theories.

Even today, unfortunately, the industrial professional performing the design of a chemical reactor may not have the practical experience in Mathematics as well as Quantum Mechanics or Physical Chemistry to fully understand the implications of the mathematical formulism. This is especially true of the mathematical methods used in Quantum Chemistry as well as quantum mechanics applications to the estimate of rates of chemical reactions.

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