Investigation of the Interpolymer Complex between Hydroxypropyl Cellulose and Maleic Acid-Styrene Copolymer, 1

The hydrogen bonding-interpolymer association of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) with maleic acid-styrene (MAc-S) copolymer has been investigated in dilute aqueous solution by viscometry, turbidimetry and potentiometry. At a mixing ration between MAc-S and HPC of 10:90, the solution exhibits a phase separation upon heating, while for other mixing ration no phase separation could be detected. The stability of the interpolymer complex (IPC) increases as the temperatures rises. The stoichiometry of the IPC, in mole units, was estimated as being MAc-S:HPC=5:2. The thermodynamic functions (enthalpy and entropy) of the complexation process have been determined.

Cover Picture: Macromol. Biosci. 10/2005

Interpolymer complex between hydroxypropyl cellulose and maleic acid-styrene copolymer: phase behavior of semi-dilute solutions.

Summary: The phase behavior of a water/hydroxypropyl cellulose/maleic acid–styrene copolymer (H2O/HPC/MAc-S) system was investigated in the semi-dilute range by turbidimetry, rheology, and optical microscopy. The two polymers under investigation form interpolymer complexes via hydrogen bonding. In the case of a total polymer concentration of cpol = 5 mg · mL−1 a second phase segregates upon heating the homogeneous ternary system. By applying a constant shear rate ( = 50 s−1) the phase separation temperature of the system is 10–15 °C lower than for an unsheared one. For cpol = 10 mg · mL−1 phase separation has already occurred at room temperature when the two binary polymer solutions are mix…