Self-Supporting Hydrogel Sheet via Gel Network and Deaeration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hydrogel sheets require a support for shape maintenance, leading to poor mechanical properties, skin adhesion issues, and potential skin troubles due to chemical processing, and they often contain air bubbles that result in opaque and weak hydrogel sheets.
Innovation Solution
A hydrogel sheet composition incorporating cellulose ether, a gelling agent such as carrageenan, and a gelling promoter, with a deaeration process to remove air bubbles, allowing the hydrogel sheet to maintain shape without a support, adhere strongly to the skin, and exhibit excellent stability and transparency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a support such as a non-woven fabric or synthetic resin is used to maintain the shape of the hydrogel sheet, then the shape stability is improved, but skin safety deteriorates due to chemical processing and potential skin troubles
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the support structure (non-woven fabric, synthetic resin, mesh, or net) from the hydrogel sheet composition. By extracting this potentially harmful component, the hydrogel can maintain its shape through its own gel network structure formed by the gelling agent and crosslinking agent, thereby eliminating skin irritation risks associated with chemically processed supports
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the formulation parameters by introducing specific components (gelling agent at 1-10 wt%, crosslinking agent at 0.1-5 wt%, cellulose ether at 0.1-5 wt%) that enable the hydrogel to self-support without external reinforcement. These parameter changes allow the hydrogel to achieve sufficient mechanical strength and shape stability intrinsically
2Strength
If a support is used to provide mechanical strength to the hydrogel sheet, then the strength is improved, but adhesion to skin deteriorates and the hydrogel detaches from the support
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the support structure that caused adhesion problems. By eliminating the interface between hydrogel and support, the detachment issue is resolved. The hydrogel sheet becomes a self-supporting structure that maintains both mechanical strength and skin adhesion without the need for external reinforcement
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite gel network system combining multiple gelling agents (e.g., carrageenan with other gelling polymers) and crosslinking agents to achieve the desired mechanical strength. This composite approach allows the hydrogel to reach sufficient strength levels without requiring a separate support structure, thereby maintaining reliable skin adhesion
3Ease of manufacture
If air bubbles are not removed from the liquid hydrogel composition during preparation, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the hydrogel sheet becomes opaque and has poor mechanical properties
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a deaeration step performed before casting the hydrogel composition. By removing air bubbles in advance through methods such as vacuum treatment or heating, the resulting hydrogel sheet achieves transparency and proper mechanical properties without requiring complex post-processing or specialized manufacturing equipment
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables hydrogel sheets with enhanced mechanical strength, improved skin adhesion, and transparency, addressing the limitations of conventional hydrogel sheets by ensuring air bubble removal and using natural polymers for skin safety.
Implementation Method 1
a gelling agent including carrageenan, and a gelling promoter
Implementation Method 2
0.1 to 10 wt % of a crosslinking agent
Implementation Method 3
a large amount of air bubbles may be generated in the liquid hydrogel composition
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a composition for a hydrogel sheet including a cellulose ether, a gelling agent, and a gelling promoter, a hydrogel sheet prepared therefrom, and a method of preparing the hydrogel sheet. According to the present invention, the composition for a hydrogel sheet can be used to prepare a hydrogel sheet capable of maintaining the shape thereof without a support by limiting a type of the gelling agent and/or a viscosity of the cellulose ether included in the composition.