Phase Properties of Polymer Gels and Influence of the Composition of the External Solution

Abstract

The influence of the concentration of an external solution, the nature of the polar groups, and the amount of cross-linking in the resins on the degree of swelling of the ionites synthesized based on the polystyrene cross-linked by divinylbenzene is investigated. It is shown that the share of the volume of the external solution in an ionite depends only on the amount of cross-linking and is independent of the nature of the polar groups and the composition of the external solution. The dependence of the share of the volume occupied by the external solution in the swollen ionite on the percentage of divinylbenzene is determined. The model of the polymer matrix in which the concentration of the external solution affects the degree of polymer swelling but does not affect the volume of the external solution in the granule is proposed. It is shown that the “sandwich” model of the polymer matrix is most convenient for describing the properties of polymer gels in which the concentration of the external solution affects the degree of swelling of the polymer but does not affect the volume of the phase of the external solution in the granule.