Abstract
AbstractSoluble poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and copolymers of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate with n‐butyl acrylate and 2‐hydroxypropyl acrylate of varying compositions were synthesised by solution polymerisation. The polymers were characterised by dilute solution viscometry and shear viscosity. Crosslinked membranes were prepared from these polymers by introducing crosslinks in solution state through the reaction with 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate at a number of different crosslinker concentrations. The membranes swollen in dimethylformamide and water were characterised by performing equilibirium swelling measurements and calculating polymer volume fraction, the molecular mass between crosslinks (M̄c) and equilibrium water content (EWC) at 25°C. The calculation of M̄c used an expression developed by Peppas & Lucht for equilibrium swelling. This is a modified equation of the original Flory–Rehner expression, that allows non‐Gaussian distribution of chain lengths. The variation of M̄c with crosslinker concentration and copolymer composition is discussed in terms of structural and molecular characteristics of these highly crosslinked networks.
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