Affiliations: Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, GPO Box 3787, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh | Institute of Food and Radiation Biology, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, GPO Box 3787, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Note: [] Corresponding author: M.N.K. Chowdhury, Pilot-Plant Polymer Technology, Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, GPO Box 3787, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh. Tel.: +880 2 7702009; E-mail: chowdhurynajmul76@yahoo.com; nrcd@instaere.com.
Abstract: Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) can be modified to polymer hydrogels by radiation crosslinking and can be used in different biomedical applications. A study was done on the optimization of ingredients concentration for preparing good quality PVA hydrogels with natural polysaccharides. The synthesized hydrogels were also characterized by measuring the different physical properties e.g. gel fraction, swelling and absorption rate. Besides these, sterility test were also performed. Good quality hydrogels were obtained from PVA and natural polysaccharides solutions with 27 kGy radiation dose. There is an influence of natural polysaccharides on the gel fraction of hydrogel. The increase in the amount of polysaccharide causes a decrease in gel fraction that is decrease in the crosslinking density of PVA hydrogel network. The prepared hydrogels were found to be sterile.
