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Solvent effects on the kinetics of gelation and the crosslink density of polysiloxane gels

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Silicon Chemistry

Abstract

A wide range of hydrocarbons were rapidly gelled by adding a polysiloxane copolymer in the presence of divinylbenzene and a platinum catalyst. The gel point was measured over a range of concentrations for hydrocarbons/solvents and organogels, using three separate methods: rheology, visual (tilt-tube) and FTIR. As the fraction of solvent was increased, the rate of reaction decreased, leading to an increase in the gelation time. The absolute value of the gel point depends upon the techniques used to measure it. For any particular system the gel point values always followed the order: rheology > visual > FTIR. The crosslink densities of the gel systems were determined using both swelling and thermomechanical analysis. The swelling measurements confirmed that the addition of large quantities of solvent markedly reduced the crosslink density of the obtained chemical gel networks, which helped in designing gels with suitable critical strength for effective field work. Also the effectiveness of gelation with the proposed gelling system for different hydrocarbons/solvents was evaluated, and discussed in relation to their dielectric properties.

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Abbreviations

FTIR:

Fourier transform infra red

GP:

gel point time

DVB:

divinylbenzene

THF:

tetrahydrofuran

TMA:

thermomechanical analysis

NMR:

nuclear magnetic resonance

GPC:

gel permeation chromatography

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia

    Nov Markovic & Naba K. Dutta

  2. Chemical Engineering Department, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia

    David R. G. Williams

  3. School of Chemistry, Physics and Earth Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia

    Janis Matisons

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  1. Nov Markovic
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  2. Naba K. Dutta
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  3. David R. G. Williams
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  4. Janis Matisons
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Correspondence to Janis Matisons.

Additional information

This paper is dedicated to Mike Owen on occasion of his winning the DeBruyn medal, the first silicon chemist to do so.

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Markovic, N., Dutta, N.K., Williams, D.R.G. et al. Solvent effects on the kinetics of gelation and the crosslink density of polysiloxane gels. Silicon Chem 2, 223–233 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11201-005-4579-0

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