Frequently Asked Questions

What are hydrogels?

Hydrogels are polymeric substances that, due to their structure, can absorb large amounts of water.

What are some properties of hydrogels?

Specific hydrogels can exhibit volume changes when responding to external stimuli, such as pH levels, solvent quality, temperature, electric currents, and more.

How do they work?

Hydrogels absorb large amounts of water, trapping it inside their large network of covalent bonds. This creates a large network of saturated hydrogel molecules that has special mechanical properties like shock absorbance and a high specific heat capacity.

What can hydrogels do?

There are multiple applications for hydrogels. Some examples are drug delivery, agriculture, and wound dressing.

Can hydrogels absorb things beside water?

“Hydro” means water. Hydrogels need to absorb water to be hydrogels. However, they can also absorb water based solutions.

Can I eat my hydrogel?

Some hydrogels are edible, like gelatin, but in general it is not advisable to eat things unless you are certain they are edible.

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