Open-Cell Sponge and Closed-Cell Sponge Absorbability of Soapy Water

Barbara Armenta, Famida Mohamedkhan & Fanny Barrios

September 1, !1"
#A$S %"&!'!!1
Abstra(t)
$he p*rpose of this in+*iry ,as to determine the fa(tors that affe(t open-(ell and (losed-(ell
sponge absorptions' Fa(tors s*(h as (apillary a(tion, porosity, pro-imity, and permeability
impa(t the absorption of these t,o types of sponges' Materials *sed to test for the absorption to
soapy ,ater. they ,ere a type of open (ell sponge and a (losed (ell sponge' $his lab ,as
designed to meas*re ,hi(h sponge ,o*ld absorb more soapy ,ater' $heir porosity, pro-imity of
pores, (apillary a(tion and permeability allo, the absorption to take pla(e ,ithin / min*tes ,hen
the t,o different sponges are pla(ed inside t,o beakers ea(h ,ith 1!!ml of ,ater and 1 ml of
0a,n Soap fo*nd in (lass' $,o more trials of the same pro(ed*re ,ere repeated to a1oid any
errors in the lab that might ha1e o((*rred' $he a1erage per(ent differen(e of open-(ell sponge
21!!'34/56 ,as greater than the (ell-(losed sponge 2&/'&56, (on(l*ding that o*r hypothesis
,as a((epted. the open-(ell sponge absorbed more soapy ,ater'
7ntrod*(tion)
All types of sponges are *sed to aid in (leaning d*e to d*rability for holding moist*re' 7n
general, sponges 8(an (omplete a (leaning task more effi(iently than ,ith the *se of 9*st bare
hands or e1en a pie(e of (loth: 2;d*(ation, !1"6' $here are many types of sponges that
indi1id*als *se either to ,ash dishes, (ars, or their body' $hese set of tasks are (ompleted by
different types of sponges'
Sponges 8differ in densities and other aspe(ts that (an be benefi(ial or detrimental in a gi1en
appli(ation: 2$homasnet, !1"6' $o start off, the definition of absorption is 8the pro(ess by
,hi(h matter or radiant energy is taken *p internally, or assimilated, by a s*bstan(e:
2<o,St*ffWorks, !1"6' Open (ell sponges mean that 8the ma9ority of the indi1id*al (ell
str*(t*res are =open> or =broken>: 2getfoamins*lation, !!&'6 Closed (ell sponges are the
opposite. they 8feat*re better ins*lation be(a*se of this resistan(e and are also more resistant to
,ater degradation or penetration, ,hi(h in(l*des moist*re b*ild-*p: 2$homasnet, !1"'6 $heir
str*(t*res are 1ery different ,hi(h determines, ho, ,ell they perform their 9ob as ,ell as their
absorptions' Str*(t*re allo,s different sponges to either ha1e porosity, pro-imity, (apillary
a(tion or if they are permeable to any s*bstan(e' 7n order for the sponges to ha1e a good spa(e
that ,ill allo, for them to absorb li+*id, they need (apillary a(tion, which is the spa(e that the
sponges ha1e in order to (ontain li+*id inside them: 2Andrys(o, !!?'6 $hey also need to ha1e
good porosity ,hi(h ,ill allo, their pores to absorb the li+*id into its spa(e' Sponges are
permeable if they ha1e e-(ellent spa(e and pores' 8Capillary a(tion, porosity, pro-imity and
permeability 2(onne(tedness of the pores6 allo,s for sponges to be (ategories in either open-(ell
sponges or (losed-(ell sponges: 2Andrys(o, !!?'6 $he open-(ell sponge has a s*perior
performan(e of (apillary a(tion @ ,hi(h allo,s it to be more absorbable and less permeable to
li+*id sol*tion' 7n other ,ords, s*rfa(e tension plays a key role in sponges' 8$he in(reased
s*rfa(e tension (reated by this inner str*(t*re ,ill a(t*ally dra, in moist*re and (a*se it to (ling
to the s*rfa(e of the sponge, and then absorb into the material: 2SimplyAoodSt*ff, !1"6 ,hi(h
basi(ally means that the more the pores in the (ertain sponge, the more s*rfa(e area there ,ill be'
$his ,o*ld (a*se the sponge to be able to hold m*(h more moist*re'
7n her arti(le Cell Foam vs. Closed Cell Foam, S*san Bristoff states the differen(es bet,een
(losed and open (ell sponges' She states that, 8Open (ell foam is fre+*ently *sed for its
absorption +*alities, parti(*larly for sponges' Open (ell foam is also *sed in a 1ariety of
ins*lating appli(ations be(a*se of its lo, (ost per C-1al*e' Open (ell foam is also *sed for so*nd
dampening, sho(k absorbers, (*shioning, and pillo,s: 2Bristoff, !!&'6 S*san Bristoff also
states that, 8Closed (ell foam is often *sed in flotation de1i(es, sin(e its (losed (ell str*(t*re ,ill
not absorb ,ater and the trapped air is b*oyant' Closed (ell foam is often *sed in other
appli(ations that re+*ire ,ater resistan(e, s*(h as ,ets*its, floor mats, gaskets and ins*lation'
Closed (ell foam is denser than open (ell foam, and generally more e-pensi1e to man*fa(t*re:
2Bristoff, !!&'6
7n this e-periment, t,o sponges of different material b*t same dimensions ,ere tested to
determine their absorption in a soapy sol*tion' O*r team hypothesiDed that the open-(ell sponge
,o*ld absorb more soapy ,ater than the (losed-(ell sponge'
;-perimental 0esign)
$he e-periment tested ,hi(h of the t,o sponges. (losed-(ell 2Fig*re 16 or open-(ell sponges
2Fig*re 6 are more absorbable to soapy ,ater 2,ater pl*s da,n soap6 based on their masses
before and after sat*ration' $he independent 1ariables in this lab ,ill be the t,o types of
sponges' $he dependent 1ariable in this lab ,ill be the absorption of soapy ,ater'
Fig*re 1) Closed-(ell sponge
Fig*re ) Open-(ell sponge
Materials)
$he materials ,ere fo*nd in the lab room ,here the lab ,as (ond*(ted' $he table belo, sho,s a
spe(ifi( list of ,hi(h materials ,ere *sed in the lab'
Safety) $here are no safety pre(a*tions ,ithin this lab'
E#ote) - " is for ea(h trial'
F*antity 0es(ription
" Open Cell Sponges 2?'/ (m - /(m - '/(m6
" Closed Cell Sponges 2?'/ (m - /(m - '/(m6
1 Balan(e S(ale
"!! ml Water
Beakers
" ml 0a,n Soap
4 Gipettes
Gro(ed*re)
Open-(ell sponge and (losed-(ell sponges ,ere ,eighed ,hile dry 2both sponges had the same
dimensions. ?'/ (m - /(m - '/(m' $he masses of the sponges ,ere re(orded in the tables belo,'
$,o beakers ,ere mi-ed ,ith 1!! ml of ,ater and 1 ml of 0a,n Soap ea(h to prod*(e a soapy
sol*tion' $he open-(ell sponge ,as pla(ed inside one of these beakers ,hile the (losed-(ell
sponge ,as pla(e into the other beaker ,ith the soapy sol*tion' $he t,o different sponges ,ere
left inside the soapy sol*tion for / min*tes' $he masses of the t,o sponges ,ere ,eighed
immediately after / the min*tes to maintain the ,ater ,eight and on(e again re(orded in the
table of Mass of Open-Cell Sponge or Mass of Closed-Cell Sponge' $,o more trials ,ere
repeated *sing the same instr*(tions'
0ata)
$he table belo, in(l*des masses beforeHafter absorption of the openH(losed (ell sponges for three
trials' A1erages, ranges and the a1erage per(ent differen(es are also in(l*ded in the table'
Open-Cell Sponge Absorption 0ata
$rials Mass Before Absorption 2g6 Mass After Absorption2g6
1 %'"? /!'3"
%'%4 %3'
" %'1& %/'4
A1erage %'"% %3'?4
Cange '3 /'11
A1g' Ger(ent 0ifferen(e 1!!'335 7n(rease
Mass of Open-Cell Sponge. sponge has spa(e a1ailable for sat*ration'
Closed-Cell Sponge Absorption 0ata
$rials Mass Before Sat*ration 2g6 Mass After Sat*ration 2g6
1 1'" 11'1
1'3? !'!"
" 1'31 1?'%1
A1erage 1'/3 14'/
Cange '// ?'&1
A1g' Ger(ent differen(e &/'"5 7n(rease
Mass of Closed-Cell Sponge. sponge absorption depends on ho, m*(h mass is a1ailable before
sat*ration takes pla(e'
Open-Cell Sponge Absorption Bar Araph
Open-Cell Sponge
Absorption. sponges that
ha1e open (ells ha1e a
good absorption rate'
Closed-Cell Sponge Absorption Bar Araph
Closed-Cell Sponge
Absorption. (losed-(ell
sponges absorb the soapy
sol*tion'
Ces*lts)
$he a1erage mass of the open-(ell sponge before absorption is %'"%g and %3'?4g after absorption'
$he range mass of the open-(ell sponge before absorption is '3g and /'11g after absorption' $he
a1erage per(ent differen(e of the open-(ell sponge is a 1!!'335 in(rease'
0
5
10
15
20
25
Mass Before Saturation T1
Mass After Sat uration T1
Mass Before Saturation T2
Mass After Sat uration T2
Mass Before Saturation T3
Mass After Sat uration T3
1 2
3
1 2
3
M
A
S
S
g
1 2
3
Trials
Trials
While the a1erage mass of the (losed-(ell sponge before absorption is 1'/3g and 14'/g after
absorption' $he range mass of the (losed-(ell sponge before absorption is '//g and ?'&1g after
absorption' $he a1erage per(ent differen(e of the (losed-(ell sponge is a &/'"5 in(rease'
Analysis of Ces*lts)
$he higher a1erage per(ent differen(e of the open-(ell sponge states that it has a higher
absorption rate than the (losed-(ell sponge' Both a1erage of the sponges in(reased as ,ell as
their ranges bet,een the minim*m and ma-im*m masses' 7n addition both type of sponges ha1e
a relationship, absorption depends on ho, m*(h mass the sponge has before the sat*ration. in
$rial 1 of Mass of Open-Cell Sponge the mass before sat*ration for open-(ell sponge is %'"?g
and after sat*ration /!'3"g' 7n trial " the mass before sat*ration is %'1&g 2'1& g more than trial 16
and %/'4g after the sat*ration 2/'11g less than trial 16' $rial " absorbed more soapy ,ater than
trial 1 be(a*se there ,as more spa(e a1ailable before the absorption' $he table of Mass of
Closed-Cell Sponge indi(ates the same relationship) $rial 1 before sat*ration is 1'"g and after
sat*ration 11'1g' $he mass of trial " before sat*ration is 1'31g 2'%?g more than trail 16 and mass
after sat*ration is 1?'%1g 23'&g than trial 16'
0is(*ssion)
While handling the sponges after the sat*ration had o((*rred, ,e noti(ed the open-(ell sponges
,ere (learly hea1ier than the (losed-(ell sponges' We made s*re to ,eigh them to be able to
ha1e (on(l*si1e data' After the e-periment ,as done, ,e re(orded the data and (ompared the
masses of the open and (losed-(ell sponges' O*r team made the ne(essary (al(*lations 2a1erages,
ranges, a1erage per(ent differen(es6' Open-(ell and (losed-(ell sponges are permeable to the
soapy sol*tion b*t open-(ell sponges ha1e a greater spa(e a1ailable for absorptions' $he open-
(ell sponge has a ro*gh str*(t*re ,ith larger pores ,hile the (losed-(ell sponge str*(t*re has
miniat*re pores' $he dimensions of the sponges ,ere (*t appro-imately 2IH- !'1(m6 to ?'/ (m -
/(m - '/(m in order to keep the e-periment as a((*rate as possible' Both sponges presented that
if they ha1e a larger mass then they are able to absorb more soapy sol*tion' <o,e1er, the open-
(ell sponge ,o*ld absorb more soapy sol*tion than the (losed-(ell sponge'
$he (apillary a(tion allo,s the sponge to absorb based on their porosity and absorb less based on
their pro-imity' ;1en tho*gh the (lose-(ell sponge has a greater pro-imity it does absorb the
soapy ,ater' A better ,ay to ha1e had more a((*rate data it ,o*ld be to ha1e more than one type
of open-(ell or (losed-(ell sponges tested for their sat*ration' $here are different (lassifi(ations
of (losed-(ell sponges that are *sed for other f*n(tions than to (lean a (ar or other (lassifi(ations
of open-(ell sponges than 9*st the sponge for ,ashing dishes' Also, the data only gi1es three
trials. a more a((*rate data ,o*ld in(l*de many more trials to test the hypothesis' We also *sed a
pipette to meas*re 1 ml of 0a,n Soap' Jsing a pipette, to dra, soap in ,as *pright b*t ,hen
trying to dra, the soap o*t of the pipette not all of the 1 ml ,as dra,n to the ,ater in the beaker'
A better material for meas*rement of the 0a,n Soap ,o*ld ha1e been a 1!ml grad*ated
(ylinder, and instead of 1 ml of 0a,n Soap ,e (o*ld of ha1e added /ml to 1!!ml of ,ater, to
make the sol*tion soapier and had t,o beakers ,ith 9*st 1!!ml of ,ater as o*r (ontrol gro*p'
Con(l*sion)
$he o1erall (on(l*sion that (an be dra,n from this lab is that open-(ell sponges absorb more
soapy ,ater than (losed-(ell sponges' 7t>s ro*gh str*(t*re, (apillary a(tion, permeability, and
porosity allo,s it to ha1e a better sat*ration than the (losed-(ell sponge' ;1iden(e from the lab
sho,s that the types of sponges 2openH(losed (ell6 impa(ts the absorption a sponge has to hold a
(ertain amo*nt of li+*id'
References
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