Structural differences exhibited by networks prepared by chemical or photochemical reactions. I stress-strain properties

Stress-strain properties and swelling measurements were used to characterise networks obtained either by peroxide curing or by photocrosslinking. It was shown that the value of the average molecular weight of a network strand (M _c) is dependent on its methods of determination (m _cf from modulus, M _cv2m from swelling ratios) and that the value of the ratio M _cp/M_cv2m is a characteristic of each crosslinking process. Moreover, the results have shown that the homogeneity of distribution of the crosslinks is dependent on the crosslinking process used.