Abstract: | The thermoreversible gelation of solutions of isotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) is investigated. Amorphous gels can be prepared in l-butanol by a combination of a liquid-liquid demixing with an upper critical demixing temperature and a glass transition. Annealing of the demixed solutions above their glass transition temperature TG, results in the formation of a crystalline gel. In oxylene, crystalline gels are formed by a liquid-liquid demixing with an lower critical demixing temperature and an annealing at room temperature. Very fast gelation is observed to occur far below room temperature in solvents like 2-butanone. |