The global phase behavior of the two-component systems with intracomponent association: Flory approach.

Within the Flory approach we study the phase diagrams of two-component fluids, the molecules of each component A(f(A)), B(f(B)) bearing f(A) (f(B)) functional groups capable of forming thermoreversible A-A and B-B bonds. We develop a general procedure to classify these diagrams depending on the values of four governing parameters -- entropies and normalized energies of A-A and B-B bonds, and give full topological classification of phase diagrams with f(A,B)> or =3. We show that these phase diagrams can have immiscibility loops and up to four critical points.

Statistics of ideal randomly branched polymers in a semi-space.

We investigate the statistical properties of a randomly branched 3-functional N-link polymer chain without excluded volume, whose one point is fixed at the distance d from the impenetrable surface in a 3-dimensional space. Exactly solving the Dyson-type equation for the partition function Z(N, d )=N(-theta)e(gamma N) in 3D, we find the "surface" critical exponent theta=[Formula: see text], as well as the density profiles of 3-functional units and of dead ends. Our approach enables to compute also the pairwise correlation function of a randomly branched polymer in a 3D semi-space.

Frequency dispersion of sound propagation in Rouse polymer melts via generalized dynamic random phase approximation.

An extended generalization of the dynamic random phase approximation (DRPA) for L-component polymer systems is presented. Unlike the original version of the DRPA, which relates the (LxL) matrices of the collective density-density time correlation functions and the corresponding susceptibilities of concentrated polymer systems to those of the tracer macromolecules and so-called broken-links system (BLS), our generalized DRPA solves this problem for the (5xL) x (5xL) matrices of the coupled susceptibilities and time correlation functions of the component number, kinetic energy and flux densities. The presented technique is used to study propagation of sound and dynamic form-factor in disentangled (Rouse) monodisperse homopolymer melt. The calculated ultrasonic velocity and absorption coefficient reveal substantial frequency dispersion. The relaxation time tau is proportional to the degree of polymerization N, which is N times less than the Rouse time and evidences strong dynamic screening because of interchain interaction. We discuss also some peculiarities of the Brillouin scattering in polymer melts. Besides, a new convenient expression for the dynamic structure function of the single Rouse chain in (q,p) representation is found.