I DIDN’T KNOW THAT

Question: Sometimes when we change our baby’s diaper, we see small, clear crystals on his bottom. What are they?

Answer: They are crystals of a polymer called sodium polyacrylate, or “waterlock,” that is used in disposable diapers to hold water.

The polymer can trap as much as 800 times its own weight in distilled water, or up to 300 times its own weight of tap water or urine.

By incorporating this polymer, a large diaper can hold as much as a liter of urine.

More information is available at: www.psrc.usm.edu/macrog/proposal/dreyfus/outcome/diaper/diapers.htm.