Concentrated polymer solution between plates

Abstract

Geometric requirements, avoidance of boundary conditions, and focus on configurational properties have suggested mean field formulation of the many chain problem using discrete single chain Gaussian partition functions. Mean field account of energetic, combinatorial, and configurational contributions to the free energy provides correct reduction in the limit of remote confinement and avoidance of double counting of interactions. Strong influence of surface adsorption on configurational and global properties of spatial distribution is predicted to occur at lower concentrations. The interplate surface tension has been calculated in decoupled conditions (large separation distances between plates). Numerical results predict an approximate power law dependence of the surface tension on the concentration with exponent ∼ 1.3. Perfectly repulsive boundaries and athermal solvent conditions have been assumed for this calculation. Copyright © 1987 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.