Kiss That Wound Goodbye with the Power of Polymerization

Hydrogels are versatile materials found in a variety of areas, ranging from hygiene products to drug delivery to wound care and more. Typically, hydrogels are used in biomedical applications due to their ability to absorb and retain large amounts of water or fluids, combined with their water-insoluble properties, allowing them to carry medicines or other important substances. Wound care consists of different types of bandaging, whether it is dry healing or wet healing. Hydrogels are specifically favored for their moisture retention on the wounded skin. It was found that wounds in a moist environment healed on average 50% faster than in a dry, open-air environment. The goal of this project is to design a more effective and cost-efficient process to produce Polyacrylic Acid (PAA), a key material for Hydrogel production. This process involves the oxidation of Propylene to obtain Acrylic Acid, which is then purified and polymerized into PAA. This PAA is then crosslinked through electron-beam radiation to form Hydrogel for use in wound care pads. 15% of the PAA produced is synthesized into Hydrogel, while the rest is sold for various industrial applications. Successfully applying this approach will yield a more economic production process and thus a more accessible raw material market for the biomedical industry.