Alicia Alvarado

Super Absorbent
Polymers
Experiment
Research Question:
What will happen if
super absorbent
polymers (water
beads) are saturated
with elements other
than water?
Hypothesis: The polymers will absorb thinner liquids while remaining
unchanged when introduced to thicker liquids.
Materials:
• Water beads
• 6 plastic containers
• Measuring spoon (1/2 tsp)
• Measuring cup (1/3 cup)
• Soy sauce
• Milk
• Perfume
• Lotion
• Aloe Vera gel
• Hot sauce
• Writing utensil
• Post-it notes
 Procedure:
• Step 1: Set up your plastic containers on a flat
surface. Use post-it notes and your writing utensil to
label what substance will be added to each
container.
• Step 2: Measure out ½ teaspoon of water beads
into each container.
• Step 3: Measure out 1/3 cup of soy sauce and add
to corresponding container. Continue to measure out
1/3 cup of each substance (milk, perfume, ect.) into
their corresponding containers.
• Step 4: Leave water beads to soak in each
container for 4 hours.
 Hour 1

Aloe Lotion Perfume Hot Sauce Soy Sauce Milk

 Perfume Soy Sauce Hot Sauce

Aloe Vera Milk Lotion

Hour 4
Results:

Polymer Absorbtion Rate

 Conclusion:
In my hypothesis, I theorized that the
super absorbant polymer beads would
absorb all the thinner liquids and not the
thicker liquids. After 4 hours, the beads
had partially absorbed two of the thin
liquids (soy sauce and hot sauce) and had
fully absorbed the milk. The polymers did
not absorb any of the perfume or the
lotion. Finally, the beads fully aborbed the
aloe vera gel. Through this experiment, I
learned that polymers do not exclusively
absorb thin liquids. Most of the thin
liquids were partially absorbed or
completely unabsorbed. Furthermore, the
thick aloe gel was absorbed by the
polymers. I am curious to know why the
beads absorbed some liquids and
completely rejected others. I would like to
investigate further to understand which
liquids are prone to absorbation and why.