Evidence of shear-induced polymer release from a swollen gel particle

✍ Scribed by Sylvie Vervoort; Tatiana Budtova

• Book ID: 104526681
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 256 KB
• Volume: 52
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0959-8103
• DOI: 10.1002/pi.1131

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The influence of simple shear flow on the behaviour of an isolated polyelectrolyte hydrogel particle swollen in an aqueous hydroxypropylcellulose solution was studied by rheo‐optics. When submitted to a constant shear stress, an initially spherical particle deforms quickly to adopt a stable ellipsoidal form. Upon reaching a first stress threshold, some liquid is released from the particle. This liquid release is determined by a critical deformation value above which the gel cannot retain all of its solvent. At stresses above a second threshold value, small droplets of liquid are secreted from the particle and move away in the flow direction.

© 2003 Society of Chemical Industry