The effect of XG, branched polymer, and SSG, linear
polymer, on water uptake and swelling of the DCA beads
was also compared using the results of our previous study
(Puttipipatkhachorn et al., 2005). The XG–DCA beads gave
higher water uptake and swelling in both media than the
SSG–DCA beads. This indicated that incorporating of the different
polymer into the DCA beads affected water uptake and
swelling, although such polymers could form intermolecular
hydrogen bonding with SA. However, high molecular weight
of XG and small aggregates of XG dispersed in the DCA matrix
gave greater water sorption capacity of the XG–DCA beads,
leading to increasing of swelling.