| abstract |
Compositions comprising a water-swellable PN or semi-IPN comprising a hydrophobic thermosetting polymer or thermoplastic polymer and an ionic polymer, products made from such compositions, and methods of using such products. The present invention includes placing an ionizable monomer solution in contact with a hydrophobic thermosetting polymer or solid form of a thermoplastic polymer; placing the ionizable monomer solution in a hydrophobic thermosetting polymer or thermoplastic polymer; Hydrophobic step comprising: diffusing; polymerizing an ionizable monomer to form an ionic polymer within a hydrophobic thermosetting polymer or thermoplastic polymer, thereby forming an IPN or semi-IPN Also included is a method of producing a water-swellable IPN or semi-IPN from a thermoset polymer or thermoplastic polymer. [Selection figure] None |