Structure

• Polyacrylamide is a water-soluble polymer. A polymer is a string of identical or similar molecules joined together. Polyacrylamide crystals are strands of polyacrylamide that are cross-linked together in order to form a mesh. Unlike regular polyacrylamide, polyacrylamide crystals are not water-soluble.
  
  

Discovery

• Polyacrylamide crystals were discovered by Billy Gene Harper, Robert Niles Bashaw and Bobby Leroy Atkins of the Dow Chemical Company. They patented their discovery in 1966.
  
  

Significance

• In addition to being much more absorbent than other soil hydrators, polyacrylamide crystals do not degrade as quickly as their predecessors do. As a result, they are a much more cost-effective way to ensure soil hydration. Polyacrylamide crystals are useful not only for agriculture, but also for medical items, diapers and feminine products.