| Abstract: | The swelling and volume transition of fully neutralized sodium polyacrylate gels were investigated in salt solutions using osmotic and small angle neutron scattering measurements. The volume transition was induced by monovalent/divalent cation exchange. The overall salt concentration and the ratio of monovalent to divalent cations were varied in the biologically significant range. The neutron scattering response of fully neutralized polyacrylate gels in the presence of excess salt is described by the sum of a dynamic and a static component. The thermal correlation length determined from the intensity of the dynamic component displays a maximum at the transition. |
