Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Polymer gelation involves the emergence of a system-spanning network from growing polymer-rich domains, yet conventional percolation models typically prescribe particle size independently of material consumption. We formulate gelation as a locally mass-conserving growth-percolation process in which Voronoi capture zones define finite material reservoirs for individual nuclei. Local depletion determines the evolving supersaturation and limiting particle size, while particle contacts generate a dynamic network whose first spanning cluster defines the gel point. Three mechanisms, namely, interface-, diffusion-, and polymer-blob-controlled growth produce distinct gelation kinetics while sharing the same accessible final state. Spatial fluctuations in nucleation further generate a distribution of gelation times. The framework separates gelation from saturation and naturally captures post-gel aging as continued growth and topological maturation.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Rege, Ameya, Ratke, Lorenz
Language: English
Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7206212715