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Chemistry
Comparatively Speaking: Linear vs. Branched vs. Dendrimer Polymer Structures
By: Anthony J. O'Lenick, Jr., Siltech LLC
Posted: April 6, 2010
page 2 of 2
A cross-link suggests a branch point from which four or more distinct chains emanate. A polymer molecule with a high degree of cross-linking is referred to as a polymer network. Sufficiently high cross-link concentrations may lead to the formation of an infinite network, also known as a gel, in which networks of chains are of unlimited extent—essentially all chains have linked into one molecule.
