| Abstract: | The crosslinking processes of aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) by γ‐ray irradiation were studied by viscometry, dynamic and static light scattering (DLS and SLS), as well as size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Increases in the intrinsic viscosity ([η]), molecular weight (Mw), hydrodynamic radius (Rh), and radius of gyration (Rg), and a decrease in second virial coefficient (A2) were observed after γ‐ray irradiation. However, both the values of [η] and A2 for irradiated PVA fell below the data of unirradiated PVA solutions, suggesting a conformational change of PVA chains after γ‐ray irradiation. This structural change of PVA as a result of γ‐ray irradiation was also indicated by the decreases in Rg/Rh from 1.5 to 1.39 by SLS and DLS, and in Mark–Houwink exponent αη from 0.54 to 0.26 by SEC‐Viscometry. The broadening of the Mw distribution (MWD) as indicated by the polydispersity index increased from 2.2 to 6.5 because of γ‐ray irradiation. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 214–221, 2000 |
