polyacrylamide

American  

[pol-ee-uh-kril-uh-mahyd, -mid, -ak-ruh-lam-ahyd, -id] / ˌpɒl i əˈkrɪl əˌmaɪd, -mɪd, -ˌæk rəˈlæm aɪd, -ɪd /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, solid, water-soluble polymer of acrylamide, used in secondary oil recovery, as a thickening agent, a flocculant, and an absorbent, and to separate macromolecules of different molecular weights.

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polyacrylamide Scientific  

/ pŏl′ē-ə-krĭl′ə-mīd′ /

1. A white, water-soluble polymer containing repeating units of acrylamide (C ₃ H ₅ NO)and related to acrylic acid. Polyacrylamide is used in food packaging, adhesives, coatings, and paper manufacturing. It is also used to reduce soil erosion and as a gel for electrophoresis in the laboratory analysis of protein and DNA structures.

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Etymology

Origin of polyacrylamide

First recorded in 1940–45; poly- + acrylamide

Example Sentences

Two tankers were carrying residual amounts of diesel exhaust fluid, the county said, and two others had residual amounts of polyacrylamide water solution.

From Washington Post • Mar. 5, 2023

Officials said two of the tankers were carrying residual amounts of diesel exhaust fluid and the other two had residual amounts of polyacrylamide water solution, which they called “common industrial products shipped via railroad.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 5, 2023

Two had residual amounts of diesel exhaust fluid, and the other had residual amounts of polyacrylamide water solution.

From New York Times • Mar. 5, 2023

The polyacrylamide gel, similar to what’s in baby diapers, is thicker and stickier than the typical retardant used in aerial firefighting tactics.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2021

Here we introduce an electric-eel-inspired power concept that uses gradients of ions between miniature polyacrylamide hydrogel compartments bounded by a repeating sequence of cation- and anion-selective hydrogel membranes.

From Nature • Dec. 12, 2017