Chemical Potential of a Polymer Chain in Solution

2 Chemical Potential of a Polymer Chain in Solution When N 1, 

The deviation from the ideal solution is magnified by N. A small difference of x from 1 /2 shows up as a large nonideality when N is large. Thus the polymer solutions, especially those of high-molecular-weight polymers, can be easily nonideal. When x i/2, in particular, N(l - 2x) can be easily as large as to cause a dip in the plot of Apip. 

Equations 2.7, 2.14, and 2.15 serve as a starting point for further discussion of thermodynamics of the polymer solution in the lattice fluid model. Another approach to the thermodynamics based on these equations is given in Appendix 2.B. 

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