Abstract

The mechanism of formation of slightly crosslinked composite hydrogels based on natural agar-agar polysaccharide, synthetic polymers for medical purposes - Poly-N-Vinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and low-molecular plasticizers (polyethylene glycol PEG-400 and glycerin) in the presence of mineral fillers (bentonite, montmorillonite and shungite) synthesized by electron irradiation was considered from the point of view of analyzing their mechanical characteristics under various types of applied efforts. It is established that the synthesis conditions and the component composition of the initial mixture determine the formed structure of the hydrogel composites and their mechanical properties. A new interpretation of the formation of the structure of composite hydrogels in the presence of various plasticizers and mineral fillers is given. A detailed analysis of the deformation curves of composite hydrogels is presented taking into account the visco-elastic, highly elastic and forced-elastic states.

Keywords:Composite polymer hydrogels; Electron irradiation; Plasticizer; Deformation; Compression; Stretching; Elasticity