Summary
In this lesson, we began to think in depth about how a polymer behaves when it is mixed with a solvent to make a solution and have described the entropy, enthalpy, and free energy of mixing. We started with ideal solution theory, and discussed in what instances and why polymer solutions are not well described by this theory. We then introduced Flory-Huggins theory to try to address some of those false assumptions. We covered cohesive energy density and solubility parameters and how these can be used to predict which solvents might be best for which polymers, but also realize the limitations of that model as well! Specifically for polymers in water, we saw some examples of polyelectrolytes which have some very useful and interesting properties due to the charged polymer backbone.
Reminder - Complete all of the Lesson 10 tasks!
You have reached the end of Lesson 10! Review the checklist on the Lesson 10 Overview / Checklist page to make sure you have completed all of the activities listed there before you begin Lesson 11.