Drying of Polyacrylamide Composite Gels Formed with Various Kappa- Carrageenan Content

Abstract

Drying of polyacrylamide (PAAm)-kappa-carrageenan (kappa C) composite gels were monitored by using steady-state fluorescence technique. Disc shaped gels were formed from acrylamide (AAm) and N N'- methylenebisacrylamide(Bis) with various kappa- carrageenan (kappa C) contents by free radical crosslinking copolymerization in water. Pyranine (P) was doped as a fluorescence probe and scattered light I (sc) and fluorescence intensities I were monitored during drying of these gels. It is observed that fluorescence intensity of pyranine increased as drying time is increased for all samples. The increase in I was modeled using Stern- Volmer equation and diffusion with moving boundary. It is found that desorption coefficient D decreased as kappa C contents were increased. Supporting gravimetrical and volumetric experiments were also carried out during drying of PAAm- kappa C composite gels.