Gelation/gels mechanisms

With these guides, it becomes necessary to study and analyze the crystallization and gelation of several different polymer types, in each of the categories, in order to determine the basic principles involved in gel mechanism and in establishing gel properties. The classification in Figure 1 serves as a basis for which diverse experiments that have been reported can be analyzed in a unified manner and as a direction for new experiments with specifically chosen model systems. It makes clear the extreme importance of determining the microstructure of the chain, particularly whether it possesses any copolymeric character, and also establishing the thermodynamic nature of the polymer-solvent system. 

Gel time values of the three systems measured as abrupt change in the slope of G (t) under isothermal curing conditions show that gelation occurs earlier in PWE system at all temperatures considered as shown in Table 11.27. ETPI behaves like a catalyst for the primary epoxy-amino reaction which dominates the cure until vitrihcation occurs. Dynamic mechanical analysis and dielectric spectroscopic analysis carried out by the authors also confirm the above conclusions. 

The HM and LM pectins give two very different types of gels the mechanisms of stabilization of the junction zones in the two cases are described and few characteristics given. The different molecular characteristics (DE, distribution of methoxyl or acetyl substituents, neutral sugar content or rhamnose content) play an important role on the kinetic of gelation, mechanical properties of the gel formed and also on the experimental conditions to form the stronger gels. All these points were briefly discussed. 

Contrary to the phase separation curve, the sol/gel transition is very sensitive to the temperature more cations are required to get a gel phase when the temperature increases and thus the extension of the gel phase decreases [8]. The sol/gel transition as determined above is well reproducible but overestimates the real amount of cation at the transition. Gelation is a transition from liquid to solid during which the polymeric systems suffers dramatic modifications on their macroscopic viscoelastic behavior. The whole phenomenon can be thus followed by the evolution of the mechanical properties through dynamic experiments. The behaviour of the complex shear modulus G (o)) reflects the distribution of the relaxation time of the growing clusters. At the gel point the broad distribution of... 

The gelling temperature is an important factor for the characterization and application of pectins. The pectin consumer wants a pectin fulfilling his special requirements, this can mean either working with or without pregelation. Pregelation, the weakening of gel structure, occurs when pectin preparations are stressed below their gelation temperature so that the mechanical treatment leads to an irreversible destruction of the three-dimensional network. 

The structures of sol-gel-derived inorganic polymers evolve continually as products of successive hydrolysis, condensation and restructuring (reverse of Equations 1-3) reactions. Therefore, to understand structural evolution in detail, we must understand the physical and chemical mechanisms which control the sequence and pattern of these reactions during gelation, drying, and consolidation. Although it is known that gel structure is affected by many factors including catalytic conditions, solvent composition and water to alkoxide ratio (13-141, we will show that many of the observed trends can be explained on the basis of the stability of the M-O-M condensation product in its synthesis environment. 

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