We present extensive results from a computer-simulation study of a kinetic growth model for radical-initiated irreversible gelation. Lattices as large as 100×{}100×{}100 were used to examine polymerization of a system of tetrafunctional and bifunctional monomers with initiator concentrations cI, ranging from 3×{}10^-2 to 3×{}10^-6. The cluster-size distribution shows unexpected oscillations which become increasingly pronounced as cI{→}0. The scaling properties of the cluster-size distribution cannot be described by simple droplet scaling theory, and we propose a generalized form for the scaling. The bulk properties show critical exponents which are independent of cI and identical to percolation values within the errors. The amplitude ratio C^-/C⁺ is not independent of cI. The backbone of the largest cluster at the gel transition is also investigated and its fractal dimension is found to be distinctly larger than that of a random percolation cluster at pc.
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Chhabra et al. (1986) studied this question.