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Properties of Sodium Polyacrylate

Sodium Polyacrylate, otherwise known as the super-slurper, acrylic sodium salt polymer and simply ASAP, is a super-absorbent polymer (i.e. it can absorb water many times its own weight) extensively used in a range of consumer goods.

  1. Monomers

    • Sodium Polyacrylate is a chemical compound consisting essentially of chains repeating structural units called monomers.

    Polymeric Gel

    • Sodium Polyacrylate crystallizes as white powder. It takes up water as much as 200 to 300 times its dry size and swells to form a polymeric gel.

    Mechanism

    • Sodium Polyacrylate polymer can retain excessive amounts of water because of the osmotic pressure (i.e. movement of water through a semipermeable membrane). Osmotic pressure induced by the high water concentration outside a sodium polyacrylate molecule draws the water into the center of the molecule. Sodium polyacrylate continues to absorb the water until there is an equal pressure of water inside and outside the sodium polyacrylate molecule.

    Charged Ions

    • Sodium Polyacrylate is characterized by anionic charge. It is also the most common variety of acryl polymers used in industry.

    Toxicity

    • Sodium polyacrylate is not a toxic substance but it can irritate the eyes.

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