Molecular size distributions in multichain polymers: application of polymer theory to silicate melts

Abstract

Expressions developed previously by Flory and by the authors for molecular size distributions in branched polymers were used to derive theoretical curves of activity vs. composition in binary silicate melts. In contrast with curves based on the Flory distribution those derived from our result were in good agreement with experiment over the entire range of compositions up to the maximum degree of polymerization allowed by the theory. The comparison is illustrated for the systems PbO–SiO₂ and SnO–SiO₂.