LINEAR-CHAINS IN NETWORKS WITH MONODISPERSE MOLECULAR-WEIGHT SUBCHAINS

Monodisperse linear polytetrahydrofuran (PTHF) chains with unreactive end groups were mixed with PTHF chains with reactive ends. The concentration of the linear unreactive chains was dilute, approximately 3 wt%. The phase behaviour as well as the single chain conformation of the unreactive chains was investigated after the reactive chains were end-linked via either a tetrafunctional crosslinker or a free radical polyaddition reaction. The results were found to depend strongly on the difference in the molecular weights between the reactive chains and the unattached linear chains.