CLOUD POINT CURVE AND CRITICAL-POINT OF MULTICOMPONENT POLYMER SINGLE SOLVENT SYSTEM

In the reported study, an attempt was made to establish a theoretical method for calculating the cloud point curve (CPC) and critical point of solutions of polydisperse polymers in a single solvent (i. e. , quasi-binary system) on the basis of the polydispersity of the polymer and concentration- and molecular weight-dependences of the polymer-solvent thermodynamic interaction parameter chi . Expressions giving the cloud point curve were derived and a computer simulation technique, based on theory, was developed. The effects of the average molecular weight, polydispersity of polymer and concentration dependence of chi -parameter on CPC, threshold cloud point and critical point were clarified. From an actual CPC experiment, p//1 equals 0. 643 and p//2 equals 0. 200 were evaluated. The effective role of the molecular weight dependence of chi in CPC was shown in the lower upsilon //p region.