Partitioning of polymerizing fluids in random microporous media: Application of the replica Ornstein-Zernike equations

We have investigated a model for a polymerizing fluid in which each of the particles has two bonding sites, such that chains can be formed via a chemi cal association mechanism. The fluid model is considered to be in a random quenched microporous matrix. The matrix species are assumed to be either im permeable to adsorbed fluid particles or permeable, such that the surface o f the matrix particles represents a permeable membrane of finite width. We have studied the influence of the matrix species on the formation of chains due to association. The model is investigated by means of the associative replica Ornstein-Zernike equations with the Percus-Yevick closure and the i deal chain approximation. We have observed that the average chain length is longer in the presence of an impermeable matrix than in the case where the matrix is absent. Matrix is therefore conducive to the growth of the polym erizing species in micropores. There is a decrease in the average chain len gth with increasing permeability of matrix species. This behavior reaffirms the attenuating role of the permeable matrix species as a whole. (C) 1999 Academic Press.