polyacrylamide

[ pol-ee-uh-kril-uh-mahyd, -mid, -ak-ruh-lam-ahyd, -id ]

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.

polyacrylamide

/ 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of polyacrylamide¹

First recorded in 1940–45; poly- + acrylamide