| Abstract: | The water transport in 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate copolymer (HEMA copolymer) irradiated by γ rays in air is investigated. The sorption data of deionized water transport in HEMA copolymer subjected to various dosages of γ‐ray irradiation are in excellent agreement with the theoretical model that accounts for case I, case II, and anomalous transport. The diffusion coefficient for case I and the velocity for case II satisfy the Arrhenius equation for all dosage levels. The transport process is exothermic and the equilibrium–swelling ratio satisfies the van't Hoff plot. The studies of the glass transition temperature of the irradiated HEMA copolymer, the pH value of deionized water after irradiation treatment, and the quantitative determination of water structures in the HEMA copolymer hydrogel are helpful in analyzing the irradiation effect on water transport in the HEMA copolymer. The effect of irradiation on the optical properties of the HEMA copolymer is also analyzed. The transmittance of a standard specimen with saturated water is lower than that before the water treatment because of the creation of holes. However, because of the formation of color centers, the color of the copolymer becomes yellow to brown and the UV cutoff wavelength of the HEMA copolymer shifts to the longer wavelength side with increasing irradiation dosage. Some of the color centers can be annihilated after water treatment. The buckled pattern on the outer surface is observed when the HEMA copolymer irradiated by a γ ray in air is immersed in the water. This phenomenon is explained by the inhomogeneous distribution of crosslinking density. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 659–671, 2000 |
