Ion crosslinked poly(acrylic acid‐co‐acrylamide)/poly(vinyl alcohol)/Cloisite 15A nanocomposite hydrogels as potential wound dressing films: Effect of clay content on water absorption kinetic and mechanical properties

Tough and flexible ion crosslinked nanocomposite (NC) hydrogel films were synthesized as potential wound dressings. Poly(acrylic acid‐ co ‐acrylamide) chains were crosslinked using N , N ′‐methylene bis‐acrylamide and Cloisite 15A as chemical and physical crosslinkers, respectively. As the synthesized hydrogels were mechanically weak, ion crosslinking method was used. As the main aim of this work, the effect of clay content on water absorption kinetic and mechanical properties of synthesized hydrogels was studied. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, and element mapping analysis were used to characterize the synthesized hydrogel samples. For further information about water absorption and mechanical properties of the hydrogel samples, water absorption kinetics and tensile tests were done. Results showed that in an optimum amount of clay content, the main properties of the hydrogel samples were improved, which were accorded to the simultaneous effect of ion and physical crosslinking. All results confirmed that the ion crosslinked NC hydrogel with 1 wt%/vol% of clay is the sample with the best investigated properties. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:1762–1773, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers