Chapter 12
Mechanical and Thermal Characteristics
of Irradiation Cross-linked Hydrogels
O. Nadtoka, N. Kutsevol, A. Onanko, and V. Neimash
12.1 Introduction
The research and development trend of hydrogels as polymeric transitory dressing
membranes are becoming the main commercial target. Hydrogels meet all the
requirements for wound healing and are necessary for burn patients in the shortest
time possible because of the following justifications: (1) hydrogels control the lost
fluids and liquid from the body, (2) they maintain the wettability and moisture in the
wound zone, and (3) they possess tissue-like structure and compatibility. Hydrogels
are reported to be the best choice compared to other dressing forms because they
have the needed requirements for the ideal wound dressings.
Dressings from hydrogels present as transparent elastic films with thickness
h = 2 ÷ 4 × 10 −3 m and consist of 85 ÷ 90% distilled water [1]. They can contain
antiseptic, anesthetic, and hemostatic substances also.
Hydrogels are usually stabilized by means of chemical or physical interactions
among the polymer chains which are known as cross-linking methods. After crosslinking hydrogels have the ability to retain greatly the absorbed water in their mesh
structure.
The radiation technology employed in the present work has advantage for obtaining wound dressing hydrogel membranes because the cross-linked hydrogel network
is generated and sterilized in a single technological process. This way the product
obtained does not require additional operation process. Examples of polymers crossO. Nadtoka () · N. Kutsevol · A. Onanko
National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
V. Neimash
Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018
O. Fesenko, L. Yatsenko (eds.), Nanochemistry, Biotechnology, Nanomaterials,
and Their Applications, Springer Proceedings in Physics 214,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92567-7_12
205
Mechanical and Thermal Characteristics
of Irradiation Cross-linked Hydrogels
O. Nadtoka, N. Kutsevol, A. Onanko, and V. Neimash
12.1 Introduction
The research and development trend of hydrogels as polymeric transitory dressing
membranes are becoming the main commercial target. Hydrogels meet all the
requirements for wound healing and are necessary for burn patients in the shortest
time possible because of the following justifications: (1) hydrogels control the lost
fluids and liquid from the body, (2) they maintain the wettability and moisture in the
wound zone, and (3) they possess tissue-like structure and compatibility. Hydrogels
are reported to be the best choice compared to other dressing forms because they
have the needed requirements for the ideal wound dressings.
Dressings from hydrogels present as transparent elastic films with thickness
h = 2 ÷ 4 × 10 −3 m and consist of 85 ÷ 90% distilled water [1]. They can contain
antiseptic, anesthetic, and hemostatic substances also.
Hydrogels are usually stabilized by means of chemical or physical interactions
among the polymer chains which are known as cross-linking methods. After crosslinking hydrogels have the ability to retain greatly the absorbed water in their mesh
structure.
The radiation technology employed in the present work has advantage for obtaining wound dressing hydrogel membranes because the cross-linked hydrogel network
is generated and sterilized in a single technological process. This way the product
obtained does not require additional operation process. Examples of polymers crossO. Nadtoka () · N. Kutsevol · A. Onanko
National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
V. Neimash
Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018
O. Fesenko, L. Yatsenko (eds.), Nanochemistry, Biotechnology, Nanomaterials,
and Their Applications, Springer Proceedings in Physics 214,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92567-7_12
205