Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) was used to study the effects of
cross-link density on the structure of in situ sequential interpenetr
ating polymer networks (IPNs). The system investigated is a PSD (deute
rated polystyrene-co-divinylbenzene) network built within a matrix net
work of PUR (polyurethane). The scattering can be approximated by the
Debye-Bueche law with a q(-4) dependence at intermediate values of wav
e vector q, with departures from it at both low and very large values
of q. At low q, this Debye-Bueche law yields a value of the structure
factor S(q-->0) and a correlation length xi. At large q, it yields a v
alue of the specific area S/V S being the total area and V the total v
olume. As the cross-link density of either network of the IPN increase
s, S(q-->0) and xi decreases, while S/V increases. The measured xi is
in the range 20 to 80 Angstrom and the values of SIV correspond to 100
-300 m(2)/gm, indicating a rather finely divided material. The quantit
y S(q-->0), after being divided by volume xi(3), allows us to estimate
the contrast. The existence of a maximum in S(q) is discussed for the
most cross-linked samples. With increasing cross-link density of the
networks, it seems that the size of phase-separated regions is decreas
ing, indicating that the IPN structure freezes earlier in the evolutio
n of the separation kinetics. However, from comparison of effective co
ntrast and maximum contrast between ''pure phases'' (i.e. made of pure
PSD and the other of pure PUR), it seems that the content of the sepa
rated regions is closer to ''pure phases'' when the cross-linking is h
igher. At this stage of the analysis, the effects of complicated topol
ogical connectivity between the two networks were neglected.