Introduction - Physical Gels from Biological and Synthetic Polymers - page 12

(a)

(b)

(c)

Structure of phase separated networks in ternary systems: (a) interconnected paths in the early
stages of phase separation; (b) two-phase system making connected paths with small inclusions
within the phases; (c) one continuous phase with large droplet inclusions of the second phase
(i.e. well-developed phase separation).

Figure 1.3

1.5 Outline of the topic

The coverage and scope of succeeding material follows the pattern delineated below.

Chapter 2 Techniques for the characterization of physical gels

Chapter 2 introduces most of the techniques normally used in the characterization of
physical gels, which include some already well known in the physics and chemistry of
polymer solutions, in colloid science or in biology for tissue imaging. It is also necessary
to perform appropriate molecular characterization (such as molecular mass and