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Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Part I Theories -- Chapter 1 Single Polymer Chain -- 1.1 General Features -- 1.1.1 Conformation of a Polymer Chain -- 1.1.2 Coarse-Graining of a Polymer Chain -- 1.1.3 Free Rotation Model -- 1.2 Statistics of a Single Polymer Chain -- 1.2.1 End-to-End Distance of a 1D Random Walk -- 1.2.2 End-to-End Distance of a 3D Random Walk -- 1.2.3 Force Needed to Stretch an Ideal Chain -- 1.3 Scaling of a Single Polymer Chain -- 1.3.1 Stretching of an Ideal Chain -- 1.3.2 Real Chains -- 1.3.3 Stretching of a Real Chain

Column 1: Miscible Gels and Immiscible Gels -- References -- Chapter 2 Polymer Solution -- 2.1 Polymer Chains in Solution -- 2.1.1 Chain Swelling in a Good Solvent -- 2.1.2 Existing Conditions of an Ideal Chain and a Real Chain -- 2.2 Effect of Concentration on the Polymer Conformation -- 2.2.1 Overlapping Concentration -- 2.2.2 Semidilute Solution -- 2.2.3 Blobs in Semidilute Solution -- 2.3 Osmotic Pressure of a Polymer Solution -- 2.3.1 Entropy Change in Mixing -- 2.3.2 Enthalpy Change in Mixing -- 2.3.3 Basic Equation of Osmotic Pressure -- 2.3.4 Phase Separation of the Polymer Solution

2.3.5 Scaling of Osmotic Pressure -- Column 2: Blob Size of a Polymer Gel -- References -- Chapter 3 Definition of Polymer Gels and Rubber Elasticity -- 3.1 Elasticity of Gels -- 3.2 Definition of Polymer Gels -- 3.2.1 Criterion for Gelation by Rheology -- 3.2.2 Criterion for Gelation by Scattering -- 3.3 Mesh Size of a Polymer Gel -- 3.4 Elastic Modulus -- 3.4.1 Affine Network Model -- 3.4.2 Phantom Network Model -- 3.5 Network Strands and Crosslinks -- 3.5.1 Percolate Network Model -- 3.5.2 Bethe Approximation -- 3.6 Topological Interaction -- 3.7 Sol-Gel Transition

3.7.1 Gelation Threshold of Bethe Approximation -- 3.7.2 Gelation Threshold from the Percolation Model -- 3.8 Heterogeneity of Polymer Gels -- Column 3: Elastic Deformation and Plastic Deformation -- References -- Chapter 4 Swelling and Deswelling -- 4.1 Changes in the Elastic Modulus Due to Swelling/Deswelling -- 4.1.1 Statistical Model for Networks Consisting of Ideal Chains -- 4.1.2 Scaling for Networks Consisting of Nonideal Chains -- 4.1.3 Scaling for Highly Deswollen Networks -- 4.2 Equilibrium Swelling -- 4.2.1 Scaling Prediction of the Equilibrium Swelling

4.2.2 Statistical Mechanics of Equilibrium Swelling -- 4.3 Volume Phase Transition -- 4.3.1 Electrically Neutral Gels -- 4.3.2 Electrically Charged Gels -- 4.4 Swelling/Shrinking Kinetics -- 4.5 Degradation of Polymer Gels -- 4.5.1 Degradation by Cleavage of Specific Bonds -- 4.5.2 Degradation by Cleavage of Nonspecific Bonds -- Column 4: Diffusions of Polymer Network During Swelling -- References -- Chapter 5 Deformation and Fracture -- 5.1 Description of Deformation -- 5.1.1 Displacement Vector -- 5.1.2 Strain Tensor -- 5.1.2.1 Normal Strain -- 5.1.2.2 Shear Strain

5.1.3 Principal Direction and Strain

Includes bibliographical references and index.