The Role of Entanglements in the Swelling of Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Networks

Abstract

The swelling of model and imperfect polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) networks in solvents and polymer chains were studied to see how the role of entanglements affects the predictions of the Flory-Rehner swelling model. The model networks were prepared by end-linking difunctional PDMS (B2) with a given amount of tetrafunctional crosslinker (A4) to obtain networks with a minimum amount of elastically ineffective chains. The imperfect networks were prepared by end-linking mixtures of monofunctional PDMS (B1), B2, and A4 to obtain networks containing pendant chains and branched structures. The equilibrium elastic moduli, Ge, of the networks were determined from dynamic mechanical experiments and were found to be greater than the values predicted from the affine and phantom network theories when using a branching model of nonlinear polymerization (Macosko-Miller model) to characterize the networks.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA255359

Entities

People

  • Shawn P. Malone

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alcohols
  • Alkanes
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Elastic Properties
  • Experimental Data
  • Free Energy
  • Hydrogen
  • Materials Science
  • Measurement
  • Mechanical Properties
  • Methanols
  • Modulus Of Elasticity
  • Polymers
  • Stresses
  • Two Dimensional
  • Viscosity

Readers

  • Nanocomposite Materials Science
  • Polymer Science and Engineering.
  • Structural Dynamics.