Neutron scattering from strained polymer networks

Abstract

The scattering function S(k) for neutrons off a randomly cross-linked phantom network is calculated. Adopting the results of Deam and Edwards (1976) in which the mean position of the chain deforms affinely and fluctuations about this mean are random (i.e. non-affine) gives very different results from Benoit (1975) and co-workers who assume affine deformation of the chain shape. Some of the results obtained are similar to those of Pearson (1977) who calculates S(k) using Flory's theory (1976) of non-affine fluctuations. However, the predictions for networks more densely cross-linked are different from those of Flory's theory.