A coarse grained model of polymer networks focusing on the intermediate length scales

TL;DR

This paper introduces a meso-scale coarse-grained model for polymer networks that captures internal chain dynamics and reveals a transition from isolated to network behavior through numerical simulations.

Contribution

It presents a novel coarse-grained model incorporating memory functions and colored noises for polymer networks at intermediate length scales.

Findings

Model accurately describes dilute polymer solution dynamics.

Identifies a transition from isolated chain to network behavior.

Validates assumptions through numerical simulation.

Abstract

We propose a coarse-grained model for polymer chains and polymer networks based on the meso-scale dynamics. The model takes the internal degrees of freedom of the constituent polymer chains into account using memory functions and colored noises. We apply our model to dilute polymer solutions and polymer networks. A numerical simulation on a dilute polymer solution demonstrates the validity of the assumptions on the dynamics of our model. By applying this model to polymer networks, we find a transition in the dynamical behavior from an isolated chain state to a network state.