3.4.3. Effect of silver nitrate concentration
Table 1 shows the effect of silver nitrate concentration on the swelling ratio of the hydrogel. It is evident that as the concentration of silver nitrate increases from 0.5 to 1.5%, the swelling ratio of the hydrogel increases from 11.5 to 13.86%. This could be attributed to the capability silver nano-particles embedded in the hydrogel to increase the pores and free spaces within the networks structure of the prepared hydrogel and; as a consequence adsorbs more water.