First order transition - a thermal transition that involves both a latent heat and a change in the heat capacity of the material. Free radical - an atom or molecule which has at least one electron which is not paired with another electron. Gel - a crosslinked polymer which has absorbed a large amount of solvent. Crosslinked polymers usually swell a good deal when they absorb solvents. Gem diol - a diol in which both hydroxy groups are on the same carbon.
Gem diols are unstable.
It's related to the word gemini . Glass transition temperature - the temperature at which a polymer changes from hard and brittle to soft and pliable. Heat capacity - the amount of heat it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of a material one degree Celsius. Hydrodynamic volume - the volume of a polymer coil when it is in solution. This can vary for a polymer depending on how well it interacts with the solvent, and the polymer's molecular weight.