This document summarizes several activities and experiments conducted as part of an AI-Bairaq polymer discovery project. The activities included changing polymer pellets by exposing them to water and salt water, identifying polymer products, comparing liquid viscosity, testing polymer film strength, and designing a medicine release capsule. The highlight was developing an absorbent material made of cotton coated with the polymer chitosan to absorb water from humid air without using energy. The material was found to effectively absorb water while being safe, affordable and reducing electricity usage. It was recommended for use in electrical boxes and car windows to prevent water damage and accidents.

1. A L - B A I R A Q
I A M D I S C O V E R I N G M AT E R I A L S
P O LY M E R S
G E N I U S
S A R A A L M U H A N A D I
A I S H A A B D U L L A H
H A N A N A L FA R D A N
M A R YA M A L E M A D I

2. INTRODUCTION
• Activity 1: Changing Polymer Pellets
• Activity 2: Hunting for polymer products
• Activity 3: Comparing the Viscosity of Liquids
• Activity 4: Testing the Strength of Different
Polymer Films
– Part A: Casting and Observing Polymer Films
– Part B : Testing the Effect of Molecular Weight
on Tensile Strength
• Design Project: Designing a medicine release
capsule
• Product Idea:

3. INTRODUCTION
• Polymers:
• A material containing very large molecules which are
built up from a series of small basic units (monomers)
. There canbe between hundreds and hundreds of th
ousands of basic units in a polymer.

4. ACTIVITY 1: CHANGING
POLYMER PELLETS
• purpose:
• In this activity we will test the diffusion and polarization of
polycylamide polymer.

5. ACTIVITY 1: CHAINCHING
POLYMER PELLETS
•procedure:
• Label 2 beakera A,B
• Put 0.5mg of polycrylamide polymer and 10 ml of water in 2
beakers
• Wait 10 minutes , then get the mass of the polymer

6. ACTIVITY 1: CHANCHING
POLYMER PELLETS
• Add 10ml of pure water in only one of the beakers A , add salty
water to the other beaker B at the same time
• Wait 10 miutes . Then get the mass of the polymer again

7. ACTIVITY 2: HUNTING FOR POLYMER
PRODUCTS
THERE ARE 2 TYPES OF POLEMER PRODECT
•Natural polemars
•rubber
•wool
•Synthic polemars
•Nylone
•silicone

8. ACTIVITY 3: COMPARING THE
VISCOSITY OF LIQUIDS
PART A:CASTING AND OBSERVING
POLYMER FILMES
• Viscosity is the resistance of liquid to flow.
• The more viscouse a liquid is , the longer it takes to flow

9. ACTIVITY 3: COMPARING THE
VISCOSITY OF LIQUIDS
PART B: SPREADING POLYMER SOLUTIONS
• Procedure:
• Take 3 bottles of 3 different types of polymers with a different
molecular weight each.
• Then move each bottele and turn it over and analyze how fast each
one of them flows. Then order them according to that.

10. ACTIVITY 4: TESTING THE STRENGTH
OF DIFFERENT POLYMER FILMS
PART A: CASTING AND OBSERVING
POLYMER FILMS
• This activity consists of 2 parts:
• Film casting
• Testing the film strength

11. FINAL PROJECT:
THE PERFECT ABSOURBER
In humid places, water vapors are collected on the surfaces of glasses,
windows,…We researched how to solve this problem by making a
mateirels from making a combination of (water-absorbing) and (water-
repelling) materials
What makes this 'coated cotton' so interesting is that the cotton releases
the collected water by itself, as it gets warmer.
We started our experiment with ordinary cotton fabric. Ordinarily, plain
cotton can only absorb about 18 percent its own weight in airborne
water droplets. We made a research and decided to apply a coating of a
polymer known as Chitosan.
The coated cotton developed in this project can also work without wind.
In addition, cotton fibers coated with this polymer can be laid directly
where the water is needed, for example on cultivated soil.

12. THE PERFECT ABSOURBER
AIM OF THE WORK (OBJECTIVES)
• Create a new material that has high absorbing
safe for the environment and reduce the electricity
down in winter.
• This material can be used in electrical boxes , so when
there are water or humidity, it will absorb it, and
will not enter the box , this will prevent electric
• Also on car glasses to prevent condensation.
• This material is safe for the environment and reduce
electricity shut down in winter.

13. THE PERFECT ABSOURBER
HYPOTHESIS:
• Will the composite be effective to absorb enough
water from air?
• Are the materials affordable?

14. THE PERFECT ABSOURBER
MATERIALS
• Cotton fabric (CF) reinforced Super absorbent polymer composites
• Polyacrylmaide pellets: Polyacrylmaide are able to absorb up to 400
times their weight in water.

15. THE PERFECT ABSOURBER
METHOD
• Dry the fabric for 60 min at 70 degrees c in an oven
• A thin layer of superabsorbent polymer was spread into the first
layer of cotton fabric
• Apply pressure with a roller

16. THE PERFECT ABSOURBER
RESULTS:
• We produce a new material that has high absorbing efficiency
which is safe for the environment and reduce the electricity
shut downs in winter
• This material can be used in electrical boxes , so when there
are water or humidity, it will adsorb it, and water will not enter
the box , this will prevent electric shocks,Also on car glasses to
prevent condensation.

17. THE PERFECT ABSOURBER
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• We should use this material (which is very useful and safe to
environment), in widely range in electricity boxes to prevent
electricity shocks and shut downs.
• Also we should use it on windows car glasses to prevent
condensation and reduce the accidents.

18. CONCLUSIONS
We had interesting and useful experiment in participating in
AL-Bairaq project.
I learned about polymers and there uses, also we improved our
skills in creating and developing new useful ideas.

19. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Many thanks to AL-Bairaq team from Center for
Advanced Materials (CAM), Qatar University for
supporting us during our journey with a AL-Bairaq.
Also, I would like to thank the sponsors UNESCO,and
Qatar National Commission.