The dynamic wetting of a commercial alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) wax was measured on model cellulosic surfaces. The variables investigated were temperature and the surface composition. The model surfaces consisted of cellulose and cellulose acetate films as well as glass. These surfaces are smooth by industrial standards but not on a molecular level. The objective of the study was to predict the extent of AKD wetting during the time frame of papermaking. For smooth surfaces, AKD particles wet but do not spread on the hydrophilic surfaces investigated. AKD wetting proceeds from the balance of the interfacial forces with the viscous dissipation. The effect of gravity can be neglected for papermaking conditions. The Hoffman−Tanner equation modified for partial wetting provided a very good fit of the dynamic wetting. The slope of the graph is a function of temperature but not of the solid surface composition. Maslyiah's model also fits the experimental results well, but with a physically unrealistic value of the fitting parameter. For partial wetting, the complex but rigorous Cox equation is recommended to estimate the slip length over macroscopic wetting dimensions.

The macroporous synthetic poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) hydrogels as 3D cellular scaffolds with specific internal morphology, so called dual pore size, were designed and studied. The morphological microstructure of hydrogels was characterized in the gel swollen state and the susceptibility of gels for stem cells was evaluated. The effect of specific chemical groups covalently bound in the hydrogel network by copolymerization on cell adhesion and growth, followed by effect of laminin coating were investigated. The evaluated gels contained either carboxyl groups of the methacrylic acid or quaternary ammonium groups brought by polymerizable ammonium salt or their combinations. The morphology of swollen gel was visualized using the laser scanning confocal microscopy. All hydrogels had very similar porous structures – their matrices contained large pores (up to 102 μm) surrounded with gel walls with small pores (100 μm). The total pore volume in hydrogels swollen in buffer solution ranged between 69 and 86 vol%. Prior to the seeding of the mouse embryonal stem cells, the gels were coated with laminin. The hydrogel with quaternary ammonium groups (with or without laminin) stimulated the cell growth the most. The laminin coating lead to a significant and quaternary ammonium groups. The gel chemical modification influenced also the topology of cell coverage that ranged from individual cell clusters to well dispersed multi cellular structures. Findings in this study point out the laser scanning confocal microscopy as an irreplaceable method for a precise and quick assessment of the hydrogel morphology. In addition, these findings help to optimize the chemical composition of the hydrogel scaffold through the combination of chemical and biological factors leading to intensive cell attachment and proliferation.

A series of thirteen polyurethanes were synthesized using blends of monofunctional, difunctional, and trifunctional poly(propy1ene oxides) reacted with 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate in a stoichiometric ratio. Experimental measurements were made of glass transition temperature, sol fraction, and dynamic mechanical properties. Computer simulations based on the theory of branching processes were made on the same systems. The glass transition temperature was correlated with the number average functionality of the components. Dynamic mechanical data was fitted to the Havriliak-Negami model.A correlation was demonstrated between the measured rubbery modulus and the concentration of elastically active network chains.

In situ1H NMR characterization of copolymerization reactions of various 2-oxazoline monomers at different molar ratios offers detailed insight into the build-up and composition of the polymer chains.