Mechanical Properties of Poly(acrylamide-sodium acrylate) Hydrogels Synthesized under Direct Current Electric Fields with High Voltages

The poly(acrylamide-sodium acrylate) hydrogels were synthesized by free polymerization under externally imposed electric fields. The mechanical properties of hydrogel were measured by tensile test. The results indicate that the Youngʹs modulus of hydrogel is increased with electric field strength. It is shown that the polymerization of polar monomer molecules with ordered arrangement in the direction of electric field results in the formation of orientated network structure hydrogel.