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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 15: Poster I

CPP 15.5: Poster

Monday, March 18, 2024, 18:00–20:00, Poster C

On the swelling of polymer network strands — •Michael Lang and Reinhard Scholz — Leibniz Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, 01069 Dresden, Germany

Large scale computer simulations are employed to analyze the conformations of network strands in polymer networks at preparation conditions and at swelling equilibrium. Network strands in end-linked model networks are weakly stretched and partially swollen at preparation conditions as compared to linear polymers at the same polymer volume fraction. For increasing overlap of the chains, network swelling causes a non-ideal chain size ∝ N^ν characterized by an effective scaling exponent ν approaching 7/10 on intermediate length scales. The chain size in a network consists of a fluctuating and a time average "elastic" contribution. The elastic contribution swells essentially affinely, whereas the swelling of the fluctuating part lies between the expected swelling of the entanglement constraints and the swelling of non-cross-linked chains in a comparable semi-dilute solution. The total swelling of chain size results from the changes of both fluctuating and non-fluctuating contributions.

Keywords: polymer networks; swelling; elasticity; scattering