ISSN:
0098-1273
Keywords:
Physics
;
Polymer and Materials Science
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Physics
Notes:
It is possible to prepare “model” elastomeric networks having known values of the molecular weight Mc between crosslinks by endlinking functionally terminated polymer chains having number-average molecular weights Mn equal to the desired values of Mc. If chains having chemically inert groups at both ends are intentionally included during the preparation of such a system, they will remain unattached, merely reptating through the subsequently formed network structure. This technique was used to prepare a series of tetrafunctional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) networks having essentially the same degree of crosslinking (10-3Mc = 11.3 g mol-1) and constant amount of diluent in the form of unattached PDMS chains having molecular weights of 10-3Md = 26.4, 18.6, 15.8, 9.8, 6.7, 1.2, and 0.70 g mol-1. Because of the very high mobility of PDMS, it was also possible to introduce essentially the same amount of the same diluents into already formed PDMS networks having the same Mc. Extractions carried out using tetrahydrofuran at room temperature showed that the diluent (“sol fraction”) introduced by swelling the network is more easily removed than that present during the endlinking, possibly because of less convoluted arrangements within the network structure. Chains with the largest values of Md which were present during the endlinking were found to be very difficult to remove entirely. It is therefore extremely important to carry out exhaustive extractions to obtain reliable values of network sol fractions, particularly when such data are to be used to estimate extents of reaction in the preparation of end-linked elastomers.
Additional Material:
7 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pol.1983.180211007
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