| Abstract: | Thermoreversible gelation of concentrated solutions of nitrocellulose was examined. The sol–gel transition diagrams were established using the ball‐drop method. The critical gel concentrations (Cgel), defined as the lowest concentration for gelation to occur, are approximately proportional to the reciprocal of the molecular weight of nitrocellulose. In addition, the values of Cgel[η] lie in the concentrated regime where entanglement effects are present. These facts suggest that the entanglement of polymer chains is a necessary condition for the formation of nitrocellulose gels. Moreover, the association of polymer segments is identified as another factor affecting the gel stability. This is evidenced by both the enhancement of the gel stability in poor solvents and the large enthalpy of mixing at low temperatures. Because of the presence of the association, the number of polymer chains in a junction point is larger than two, which is the value predicted by assuming entanglements as the only factor responsible for gelation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 4000–4008, 2003 |
