Polymer that can absorb and retain extremely large amounts of a liquid relative to
its own mass.
Notes:
- The liquid absorbed can be water or an organic liquid.
- The swelling ratio of a superabsorbent polymer can reach the order of 1000:1.
- Superabsorbent polymers for water are frequently polyelectrolytes.
Source:
PAC, 2004, 76, 889
(Definitions of terms relating to reactions of polymers and to functional polymeric
materials (IUPAC Recommendations 2003))
on page 903
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by
A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997).
XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic,
J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.
