Upper Critical Solution Temperature - Polymer-solvent Mixtures

Polymer-solvent Mixtures

Some polymer solutions also have a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) or lower bound to a temperature range of partial miscibility. As shown in the diagram, for polymer solutions the LCST is higher than the UCST, so that there is a temperature interval of complete miscibility, with partial miscibility at both higher and lower temperatures.

The UCST and LCST of polymer mixtures in general depend on polymer degree of polymerization and polydispersity.

The seminal statistical mechanical model for the UCST of polymers is the Flory–Huggins solution theory.

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