An Inorganic Rubber
Abstract The hypotheses generally accepted for the structure of gels explain these phenomena in detail. The trimer, polymerized by heating, gives rise to chains of different sizes, which are able to unite and form a network. The latter contains in its meshes the trimer which has not reacted, and also polymers of low molecular weight. According to whether the latter form a liquid or solid mixture, the gum is optically liquid or solid. At low temperature, the network itself assumes a rigidity which it communicates to the entire mass. The thermo-mechanical properties show that this is true of all the gums. The presence of the network has little influence on the fusion of the intercellular product, whereas its influence on vaporization is great; in fact, the volume is as little affected by fusion as it is greatly changed by vaporization. It must therefore be the case that rupture of the meshes by pressure is more rapid than their formation by polymerization. The influence of benzine and of water, one of which dissolves the intercellular products and the other does not, shows the influence of osmotic pressure, to which Duclaux (see Bull. soc. chim., 33, 36 (1923)) has called attention.