Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics, Vol.38, No.1, 122-126, 2000
Conductivity, proton percolation, and celation during the network growth in a flexible chain diepoxide and diamine mixture
The conductivity of a stoichiometric mixture of diglycidyl ether of 1,4-butanediol and 1,6-hexamethylene diamine has been studied during its polymerization at several temperatures where the ultimate product is a crosslinked gel. The decrease in the dc conductivity, sigma(0),with the polymerization time, t, fits an equation for bond percolation, sigma(0) similar to [(t(gel)-t)/t(gel)](P), and yields a gelation time, t(gel) which agrees with the t(gel) determined from the viscosity and shear modulus measurements. It is proposed that as one covalent bond forms on chemical reaction, an indeterminable number of intermolecular II-bonds in the structure vanish, and protonic conduction is disrupted. Thus, as the original H-bond network gives way to a covalently bonded network, the mechanical rigidity increases, and protonic conductivity decreases. The gel point is reached when the increase in the number of covalent bonds brings the liquid's state up to its rigidity percolation threshold, and the decrease in the number of H-bonds brings it down to its electrical percolation threshold.