THE MICROGEL FORMATION BY CROSS-LINKING REACTION OF PRIMARY POLYMER

The crosslinking reaction of primary polymers under the influence of potentials was studied by computer simulation. Under the predominant action of repulsive potential, macrogelation did not appear and the products remained as a sol (microgel). With increasing repulsive potential, the particle size descended and the final size distribution became narrow (Pw/Pn = 1.06; Pw, weight average degree of polymerization; Pn, number average degree of polymerization). By the simulation according to a diffusion limited aggregation model with distant repulsive potential and short distant weak attractive potential, round and dense particles were obtained. In the crosslinking reaction of partially quaternized poly(4-vinylpyridine) (q-P4VP), the size of the particles declined and the size distribution became narrow with the quaternization degree of q-P4VP. This result agrees with that of the simulation.