Elastic modulus and equilibrium swelling of networks crosslinked by end-linking oligodimethylsiloxane at solution state

Abstract

We have investigated the degree of equilibrium swelling and the elastic modulus of networks prepared by end‐linking oligo(dimethylsiloxane)s (ODMS) in solution as a function of polymer concentration at crosslinking. The molecular weight of ODMS is so low that entanglement couplings are not formed in uncrosslinked state. It has been found from the preparation concentration dependence of elastic modulus in preparation state that trapped entanglements are formed by the introduction of crosslinks, and those considerably contribute to elastic modulus, even if the prepolymers are not entangled in uncrosslinked state. The experimental results for preparation concentration dependence of the degree of equilibrium swelling and the elastic modulus of equilibrium swollen networks are compared with the theoretical predictions by the two theories, i.e., the affine model and the c* theorem. It has been clearly shown that the affine model describes well the experimental results, while the discrepancies between the experimental results and the predictions by the c* theorem are considerable. These results strongly suggest that preparation concentration should be regarded as a reference state, and the displacement of crosslinks moves affinely on swelling, while the complete disinterpenetration of network chains in equilibrium swollen state, which is a postulate of the c* theorem, does not occur.