How does the random-coil model describe the structure of polystyrene glass?

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The random-coil model, first proposed by P.J. Flory in 1949, serves as the established structural framework for organic polymeric glasses like polystyrene.12

In this model, the structure of polystyrene glass is described as a collection of intermeshed, entangled polymer chains. Rather than being completely random in the sense of a gas, these chains possess well-defined short-range order. Statistically, the specific configurations of these entangled chains are represented by a mathematical trajectory known as a three-dimensional random walk. This arrangement reflects the nature of amorphous polymers, where long-chain molecules are intertwined in a manner often compared to cooked spaghetti.13