Biopolymer gel swelling analysed with scaling laws and Flory–Rehner theory

Abstract

The swelling of biopolymer gels is analysed with scaling laws from polymer physics, as an alternative for the classical Flory-Rehner theory. With these scaling laws, holding for polymer concentrations in the semi-dilute regime, experimental data on deswelling of gels can be collapsed to a single universal master curve. The predictions made with the scaling laws are similar to those made with the modified Flory-Rehner, where the osmotic pressure is described with a composition-dependent interaction parameter. For gels in the semi-dilute regime we recommend the use of the scaling laws, because their compact, and universal character.