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Which component of Urine may have the greatest effect on the absorbing…
Which component of Urine may have the greatest effect on the absorbing power of a hydrogel polymer
Factors effecting absorption power
Overall PH of urine
pH level have strong influence on the absorbing power of hydrogel polymers, due to its influence on the polymers structural integrity and swelling behavior
pH referes to the acidity or the alkalinity of a solution and is measured on a scale of 1-14. Solutions below 7 are acidic while solutions above 7 are alkaline.
The pH level of human urine generally ranges from 4.5-8. Therefore the fake urine could be modifyed to different pH levls in this range, and then have it exposed to hydrogel polymers to determine the absorbing power. pH level can be modified by using acids (citric acid) and bases (sodium hydroxide).
if pH level is not modified than accuracy is effected
Temperature
Fluctuations in temperature can impact the amount the hydrogel polymer structure can 'swell' and bond too. Higher temperatures generally accelerate swelling by increasing the mobility of polymer chains and reducing the energy required for hydrogen bonding hence greater water absorption.
Sunlight
Exposure to sunlight can contribute to increase in temperature, uv degradation, of urea and the hydrogel polymer. exposure to sunlight may also reduce the quantity of water in the 'urine' by means of evaporation. This would effect the proportions of water in urine, potentially leading to less absorbtion.
Experiment time
Experiment Time is important as the longer urine remains in contact with hydrogel polymers, the more time there is for absorption to occur. And if the experiment time is too short than the capacity of the hydrogel polymer may not be reached. Effecting data accuracy.
Hydrogel Composition
Type of Hydrogel
How much the hydrogel polymer has been compressed
Age of Hydrogel
Which component will have the greatest effect
9g urea
It is a small molecule that can dissolve in water. Urea can potentially affect the absorption rate by interacting with the hydrogen polymers or altering the solubility of other components.Urea is a soluble organic compound present at 9.3g/l in urine, responsible for the yellow colour. The amount of urea present in urine can impact the solubility of other components within urine. Exposure to UV can degrade the structure of urea by as much as 40%. (Long et al., 2019)
1g Glucosee
Glucose is a type of sugar and is a common component found in urine. It is a small molecule that can be easily dissolved in water. In general, glucose is not expected to have a significant effect on the absorption of urine by hydrogen polymers
3.5g NaCl
sodium chloride, is another common component found in urine. It is an electrolyte and can influence the osmotic properties of a solution. Depending on the concentration and type of salt used, it may affect the absorption of urine by hydrogen. Sodium Chloride is present at 1.87g/l in urine. Studies have shown that the increase in sodium chloride concentration decreases the equilibrium at which hydrogels cannot absorb water. The greater the salt concentration in urine the more acidic the urine becomes. (Rnceus.com, 2024)
Urine consists of 91-96% water (Neslihan Sarigul, Korkmaz and İlhan Kurultak, 2019). The less water composition in urine, the less effective hydrogel polymers are in absorbing urine. Moreover there is a correlation between increased water intake and a more alkaline pH of urine.
How will absorption power be measured
Difference in 'urine' before the start of the experiment and the end.
each beaker will have different amount of urea
measure how much was absorbed by measuring the amount of “urine” in the beakers before
then putting in hydrogel
then lifting it out and measuring amount of urine again
the larger amount of liquid difference means that that concentration has best absorption power
Experiment
Independent Variable
Urea is the independent variable. varying the concentration of urea to observe its effect on the absorption of urine by hydrogen polymers
Dependent Variable
Measuring Size Differences
The amount of the fake urine absorbed in the hydrogel polymer could be determined by measuring the size of the polymer before exposing it to the solution and after. Comparing these results with the various trials will allow the variances in size to show the absorption power of the hydrogel. The amount of liquid before exposure to the hydrogel could also be compared to the remaining liquid after the hydrogel has absorbed some of it.
Mechanical Properties
It has been proven that hydrogel polymers with varying absorption display different mechanical properties under pressure. Therefore, applying this knowledge, the various hydrogel polymers could be exposed to identical mechanical loads, therefore determining the absorption power of each trial.
Controlled Variables
Utilizing the same experimental setup for each trial is essential in gathering reliable results. Changes to the experimental setup halfway through the experiment could result in varying absorption rates.
Limitations
Limitation in definition to key question
Limitation in equipment or access to equipment
random errors
Amount of urine in each beaker may be slightly different due to human error
list of limitations
lack of real urine, as in fake urine many components are missing such as important, electrolytes, creatinine , ammonia etc that may have a role in the absorption of urine by the hydrogen polymer.
The number of samples used in the experiment may be limited due to resource constraint playing a role on the percision.
Uncontrollable Variables
Hydrogel Polymer Inconsistencies
Hydrogel polymers could be manufactured differently, resulting in differences in desnity of polymer chains and purity. THhse variations could potentially impact the absorbing power of the hydrogel polymers leading to inaccurate results. The size and shape of the hydrogel polymer could affect the surface area, leading to variations in swelling behavior.
Environmental Conditions
Temperature: Dramatically high or low temperatures across all trials can impact the rate of chemical reactions, therefore affecting the swelling of the hydrogel polymers. Higher temperatures could potentially accelerate swelling while lower temperatures could slow it down. This therefore introduces another variable, leading to inaccurate results.
Humidity: Changes in humidity across all trials can vary the moisture content of the hydrogel samples, affecting their swelling behavior. Higher humidity leads to more water absorption while lower humidity leads to the removal of moisture from the hydrogel, systematically affecting all the trials.
Background Information
Hydrogel polymers are specific type of polymer that has the ability to absorb amounts of water whilst maintaining structure.
Due to the polymer chains hydrophilic nature, water molecules are attracted and bonded to polymer chains, through hydrogen bonding. When this occors the polymer structure is streched 'swelling up' in size.
The hydrogel polymer absorbs water until an equilibrium gets met. The rate of water absorption is in equilibrium to the rate of water release. The polymer structure cannot accommodate anymore water. Hence no more water is released
When the hydrogel polymer has no more capacity to absorb water. The polymer becomes overwhelmed releasing small amounts of water , as hydrogen bonds were not properly formed
it's like a sponge that is all soaked up, releasing a bit of water because there just is not enough space in the sponge sturcture to make hydrogen bonds hence are leaked.
Hydrogels consist of a porous structure that is synthesised through the covalent bonding between macromolecular polymers (Wang et al., 2023)[1] These hydrogels have the ability to absorb a specific quantity of water as of dimensions, without hydrogel structure dissolving. Owing to the fact that hydrogels are hydrophilic in nature. A structure that is hydrophilic has the tendency to form hydrogen bonds with water. (Chandler, 2013)[2]