Are there any material that contact with water and expand?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around materials that expand upon contact with water, exploring various options and their properties. Participants share examples from different categories, including foodstuffs and polymers, while expressing specific needs and constraints regarding the materials.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant mentions sodium polyacrylate as a known material that expands with water but indicates it cannot be used for their purpose.
  • Another participant suggests dehydrated foodstuffs, like dried peas, and mentions a powder that expands into a jelly when water is added, possibly referring to super absorbent polymers (SAP).
  • A later reply identifies the jelly-like substance as SAP, reiterating the need for a material that significantly increases in volume when hydrated.
  • Concerns about safety issues with SAP are raised, leading to the suggestion of powdered dehydrated foodstuffs as an alternative.
  • Starch is proposed as a potential material that expands with water.
  • Another participant mentions polysaccharide powders used in gel permeation chromatography, specifically Sephadex, which can swell significantly upon hydration.
  • Gypsum is also suggested as a material that may expand when in contact with water.
  • Polyacrylamide and bentonite clays, particularly sodium bentonite, are noted for their swelling properties when hydrated.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants present multiple competing views and examples of materials that expand with water, with no consensus on a single solution or material that meets all needs.

Contextual Notes

Some suggestions may depend on specific applications or safety considerations, and the effectiveness of each material may vary based on conditions not fully explored in the discussion.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in materials science, gardening, or applications requiring moisture-retaining substances may find this discussion relevant.

kevin_tee
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Are there any material that contact with water and expand? I can think of sodium polyacrylate, but I can't use it. Thanks.
 
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Anything that's been dehydrated comes to mind such as dried peas. Just thought of something else but I don't know what its called. It comes in powder form and when water is added it expands to a soggy jelly. You can add it to the soil in plant pots to maintain the moisture level.Try your local plant nursery. I guess there are loads of other things.
 
Dadface said:
Anything that's been dehydrated comes to mind such as dried peas. Just thought of something else but I don't know what its called. It comes in powder form and when water is added it expands to a soggy jelly. You can add it to the soil in plant pots to maintain the moisture level.Try your local plant nursery. I guess there are loads of other things.

I think the soggy jelly that you mention is SAP(Super absorbent polymer) which is sodium polyacrylate that I mention, but I can't use it. Basically I need a material that significantly increase in volume when hydrate or being stimulate. Thanks.
 
I'm guessing there are safety issues with SAP. How about dehydrated foodstuffs? If powdered these can probably rehydrate in a short time.
 
Starch.
 
There are these polysaccharide powders used for gel permeation chromatography (separation on a molar mass basis) sold under the name Sephadex, they swell 10 or more times in volume on adding water.
 
Thanks for every answers.
 
Gypsum
 
Polyacrylamide and bentonite clays (sodium bentonite in particular). They are pretty swell :)
 

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