Gel Models and Scattering

Readers are referred to Chapter 3, Section 1, for detailed gel models. Here, we will consider the scattering from a simple model gel prior to dealing with actual gel formation. 

As the simplest model, we will start with the Flory-Stockmayer dendritic model (the FS model see Chapter 3, Section 1, Fig. 2) [45]. If the individual structural unit of the FS model is the scattering point, Debye s particle scattering can be applied [46]. This corresponds to the 

As the molecular weight becomes infinite due to gelation, the characteristic divergence of the Kratky plot occurs at - 0 for detailed divergence conditions, refer to the text 

Assuming that the domain formed early reflects the isolated chain and is formed by the Gaussian chains, the density fluctuation within the domain is given by the density correlation ftmction that is defined by the correlation length [48]  

The scattering fimction that is obtained fi om the Fourier transform of this correlation function (the Omstein-Zemike type) is the Lorenz type and is given by the following equation  

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