GPC ANALYSIS OF POLYMER NETWORK FORMATION : 1. BIFUNCTIONAL SILOXANE MONOMER/CROSSLINKER SYSTEM

The size distribution of polymer clusters in the pre-gel state was investigated as a function of the conversion by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) in order to elucidate the process of polysiloxane network formation. Polysiloxane networks were synthesized by hydrosilylation between a bifunctional monomer and a tri- or tetrafunctional crosslinker. Experimental chromatograms for the pre-gel system were compared with a theoretical one based on the distribution for the mean-square radius of gyration ( ) of polymer clusters predicted by the Flory–Stockmayer theory and the Gaussian chain statistics. Experimental chromatograms at high conversion showed a longer tailed distribution in the large region compared with a theoretical one. A comparison of experimental chromatograms with theoretical ones suggests the structure of a precursor network in which branched clusters are linearly linked.

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