ABSTRACT
Dissolving a polymer is a slow process that occurs in two stages. [1] First, solvent molecules slowly diffuse into the polymer to produce a swollen gel. The process may stop at this swelling stage if, for example, the polymer-polymer intermolecular forces are high because of crystallinity, strong hydrogen bonding, or crosslinking. However, if these forces can be overcome by strong polymersolvent interactions, the second stage of solution can take place with a gradual disintegration of the gel into a true solution.
