Hygroscopic PDMS Elastomer. Modification of elastomers via liquid has recently been investigated by various groups. The work reported here is related particularly to those studies concerning hydrophilic liquid inclusions. These materials are unique in that they maintain, overall, the intrinsic properties of the elastomer but they are capable of absorbing moisture from the surrounding environment. Initially, glycerol was dispersed in PDMS, which has the remarkable advantage that the toughness of the elastomer is increased. More recently, the authors 21 used a hydrophilic polymer, such as polyacrylamide as the hydrophilic inclusion.