QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS ON SWELLING BEHAVIOR OF IONIC GELS IN THE MIXED-SOLVENTS

Phase transition was observed in HSMA/PVA IPN gels having ionizable groups with 3-dimensional network structure in the mixed solvents such as water-methanol, water-acetone or water-ethanol. In order to analyze this phenomena quantitatively, two adjustable parameters related to gel properties were determined from the model based on Tanaka theory. One was the number of dissociated counterions per effective chain (f), the other was the interaction parameters (chi(ij)) between gel and water. As increasing the composition of water, swelling of the gels occurs in the mixed solvent; the gel was shrunk instead when the water content was decreased, which was reversible regardless of the path of swelling and shrinking. A degree of swelling or shrinking of the gel was dependent upon these chi(ij) and f of the gel. With smaller chi(ij) and larger f, more rapid phase transition was observed. Additionally, swelling and shrinking behavior of the gel in system of two solvents and one polymer was influenced not only by chi(ij) between gel and solvents but also by chi(ij) between two solvents.