THE REDUCED INDEX OF QUALITY OF POLYMER-S OLVENT SYSTEMS

In order to characterize the degree of interaction between a flexible- chain polymer and a solvent, the reduced index of quality of a polymer -solvent system, which takes the values equal to zero for a theta-solv ent and unity for a ''perfectly good'' solvent, is proposed. It is sho wn that the parameters of individual calibrations for exclusion chroma tography, as well as all the quantities used for describing the behavi or of flexible-chain polymers in solutions, can be represented as func tions of the reduced index of quality. The parametric character of the equations derived is suggested to be used for producing a variety of relations. In particular, the relation between the statistical paramet er of swelling alpha and the factor of interaction Z, which is applica ble to the systems in the neighborhood of the theta-point, is derived.