Water Absorption Test

The biocidal activities of a series of quatemised PUs were examined a inst Staphylococcus aureus and E.coli. The effect of quatemisation on material properties was examined with tensile testing, water absorption analysis, and contact angle measurements. The antibacterial action of the polymers was investigated. 19 refs. 

Materials Composition Tg(°C) Peel Test Water Absorption... 

More recently, test products were created of a blend of PMMA with a phenyl-substituted methacrylate these products have a glass-transition temperature of around 125°C, a significantly reduced water absorption compared to pure PMMA of about 0.32%, but also a higher birefringence (a stress-optic coefficient of 5.2 X 10 , compared with 0.3 X 10 for PMMA and 6.8 x 10 for BPA-PC). 

AATCC methods for determining water repeUency are AATCC 22 (spray test) and AATCC 70 (tumble jar dynamic absorption test). In the spray test, water is sprayed against the taut surface of the test specimen to produce a wetted pattern the size of which depends on the repeUency of the fabric. Evaluation is by comparing the pattern with a series of patterns on a standard chart. The latter method evaluates the percentage by weight of water absorbed by a sample after dynamic exposure to water for a specified period of time. 

Most of over six million dentures produced annually in the USA are made of acrylics (PMMAs) that includes full dentures, partial dentures, teeth, denture reliners, fillings and miscellaneous uses. Plastics have been edging into the dental market for over a half century. Even before the introduction of acrylics to the dental profession in 1937, nitrocellulose, phenol-formaldehyde and vinyl plastics were used as denture base materials. Results, however, were not wholly satisfactory because these plastics did not have the proper requisites of dental plastics. Since then, PMMAs have kept their lead as the most useful dental plastics, although many new plastics have appeared and are still being tested. Predominance of PMMAs is not surprising, for they are reasonably strong, have exceptional optical properties, low water absorption and solubility, and excellent dimensional stability. Most denture base materials, therefore, contain PMMA as the main ingredient. 

When water is used as the immersion liquid, the test is essentially the ASTM Standard Test Method (D570) for Water Absorption of Plastics.( ) Determinations of the relative rate of water absorption are important in evaluating the effects of moisture exposure on such properties as mechanical strength, electrical resistivity, dielectric... 

Texturization is not measured directly but is inferred from the degree of denaturation or decrease of solubility of proteins. The quantities are determined by the difference in rates of moisture uptake between the native protein and the texturized protein (Kilara, 1984), or by a dyebinding assay (Bradford, 1976). Protein denaturation may be measured by determining changes in heat capacity, but it is more practical to measure the amount of insoluble fractions and differences in solubility after physical treatment (Kilara, 1984). The different rates of water absorption are presumed to relate to the degree of texturization as texturized proteins absorb water at different rates. The insolubility test for denaturation is therefore sometimes used as substitute for direct measurement of texturization. Protein solubility is affected by surface hydrophobicity, which is directly related to the extent of protein-protein interactions, an intrinsic property of the denatured state of the proteins (Damodaran, 1989 Vojdani, 1996). 

In a bakery the Farinograph can be used to test whether the flour is in specification or not. It would be possible to add more or less water, depending on a measured water absorption. 

An interesting point arises from this method. The particles of material are exposed to water vapour at a set humidity and hence the results equate to that humidity. The measured equilibrium absorption is substantially the same as the equilibrium absorption that would be obtained by immersion in an aqueous solution which would maintain the test humidity. As this implies, the equilibrium water absorption is reduced if the water is not pure. Hence, exposure to aqueous solutions should be made at the concentration of interest. As the humidity approaches 100% even small amounts of a salt have a significant effect on equilibrium absorption. 

ISO 8361-2 1991 Thermoplastics pipes and fittings - Water absorption - Part 2 Test conditions for unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-U) pipes and fittings ISO 9393-2 1997 Thermoplastics valves - Pressure test methods and requirements - Part 2 Test conditions and basic requirements for PE, PP, PVC-U and PVDF valves ISO 9852 1995 Unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-U) pipes - Dichloromethane resistance at specified temperature (DCMT) - Test method ISO 9853 1991 Injection-moulded unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-U) fittings for pressure pipe systems - Crushing test... 

ISO 8361-3 1991 Thermoplastics pipes and fittings - Water absorption - Part 3 Test conditions for acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene (ABS) pipes and fittings... 

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