V. I. Lozinskya, L. G. Damshkalna, B. L. Shaskol’skiia, T. A. Babushkinaa,
I. N. Kurochkinb, and I. I. Kurochkinc
a Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Vavilova 28, Moscow, 119991 Russia
b Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Vorob’evy gory, Moscow, 119992 Russia
c Institute of System Analysis, Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. 60-letiya Oktyabrya 9, Moscow, 117312 Russia
Received February 21, 2007
Abstract—Based on aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solutions with different content of polymer having dif-
ferent molecular masses and chain tacticity, macroporous viscoelastic gels (PVA cryogels) are prepared in var-
ious regimes of freezing–storage in a frozen state–thawing. Shear modulus and fusion temperature of corre-
sponding samples are measured; the structure of thin sections is studied by optical microscopy and the images
are processed and analyzed. It is shown that the rigidity and heat endurance of cryogels rise with an increase in
the concentration of initial PVA solution and a decrease in the rate of thawing. The influence of the temperature
of cryogenic treatment and the PVA molecular mass has an extreme character. At the same time, the effect of
the main parameters of cryotropic gelation on the macroporous morphology of PVA cryogels is manifested in
the form of more complex dependences because of its multiple-factor character. Therefore, distinct structure–
property correlations are not observed in many cases. Cluster analysis of the morphometric characteristics of
cryogels in comparison with data on their rigidity makes it possible to classify these systems.
DOI: 10.1134/S1061933X07060117
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