Abstract
In this work we will analyze the general Miller-Macosko-theory about the crosslinking process of polymer network chains with small junction molecules. Polymer chains and junction molecules are assumed to have any joint distribution of length and functionality. A variety of network-parameters is explicitly calculated: gelpoint,
maximum conversion, stochiometric imbalance, soluble, elastically ineffective and elastically effective mass fraction, average concentration of effective junctions and
strands, average molar mass of an elastically effective strand and the swelling ratio. We will focus on the modelling of the copolymerisation of polymer chains with
HMMM-molecules (hexamethoxymethylmelamin) and the calculation of all network parameters as a function of crosslinking time. In this special case we shall analyse
two different situations, which the scientist may start from: 1) molar masses of all monomers and the average functionality of chains are known, 2) average molar
mass of a chain and the average functionality of chains are known. We will give detailled information about how to optimize the crosslinking process by changing the values of parameters like average functionality of chains and the ratio of moles of chains and junction points. The swelling ratio is calculated as a function of the solvent-polymer-interactioncoefficient. A mathematica-file has been created for calculating all network parameters as a function of conversion and crosslinking time and graphically expressing these quantities in two-dimensional plots. The gel-point
is expressed as an explicit time in the crosslinking process. Finally we shall focus on homopolymerisation and crosslinking of chains by two different sorts of junction
molecules.
Original language | German (Austria) |
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Publication status | Published - Mar 2005 |
Fields of science
- 204 Chemical Process Engineering
- 104018 Polymer chemistry
- 101 Mathematics
- 101024 Probability theory
- 104014 Surface chemistry