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Polymer gels and brushes at surfaces
Author(s) -
Vilgis T.A.,
Joanny J.F.,
Johner A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 1022-1360
DOI - 10.1002/masy.200351007
Subject(s) - materials science , wetting , polymer , elasticity (physics) , elastic modulus , composite material , deformation (meteorology) , shear (geology) , adsorption , chemistry , organic chemistry
Abstract We discuss the adsorption of polymer gels on flat surfaces. Even in cases of complete wetting, where the spreading power S is positive and where an equivalent liquid would spread, the elastic stresses due to the gel deformation upon adsorption oppose spreading. The competition between elasticity characterized by the bulk shear modulus G and capillarity, characterized by the spreading power S , defines a typical length scale 1 = S/G for the deformation in the gel. Macroscopic gels larger than 1 deform only at their edges over a region of size 1. Microscopic gels show a finite deformation despite the elastic stresses. These results can be compared to confined polymer brushes.