Cyclic Bonds in Branched Polymers

TL;DR

This paper reevaluates the assumptions about cyclic bonds in branched polymers within gelation theory, comparing theoretical assumptions with experimental data to assess their validity.

Contribution

It critically examines the assumptions of cyclic bond behavior in gelation theory from a new perspective and tests their physical soundness against experimental observations.

Findings

Cyclic bonds are not necessarily randomly distributed in networks.

The assumptions about cyclic bonds may need revision based on experimental evidence.

The paper provides a new perspective on the role of cyclic bonds in polymer networks.

Abstract

In the gelation theory it has been implicitly assumed that (I) a cyclic bond is a finite bond that returns to itself; (II) cyclic bonds distribute at random in network structures. In this paper these two assumptions are reexamined from a new point of view. The physical soundness of the assumptions is assessed through comparison with experimental observations.