PHASE TRANSITIONS, cilt.76, sa.6, ss.601-609, 2003 (SCI-Expanded)
The spinodal decomposition of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPA) gels prepared at various onset temperatures, To, was studied by photon transmission. It was observed that the increase in turbidity is much faster in a gel prepared at higher Ton than at lower To, values, which indicated that the NIPA-water system reaches the spinodal decomposition much faster for a gel prepared at high T-on. It is understood that a NIPA gel prepared at high T-on possesses more heterogeneities which are gained during gelation and has a low spinodal temperature, T-s. However, NIPA gels prepared at lower T-on values go to spinodal decomposition at higher T-s values.