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Investigating the viscoelastic behavior of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide/polyethylenimine mixtures

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Abstract

In this paper, the viscoelastic behavior of a polyethylenimine (PEI) crosslinked polymer gel prepared with a low hydrolysis/high molecular weight hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA), is investigated through dynamic shear measurements. The gel samples were cured at 80 °C while the rheological measurements were operated in a parallel-plate geometry at 25 °C. The effect of various parameters namely the reactants concentrations, the polymer’s molecular weight, the curing temperature, the presence of inorganic salts and the solution’s initial pH, on the storage (G’) and loss (G”) moduli were systematically investigated through frequency sweep tests. As a result, the final gel strength (G’ = 69.5 Pa) of a typical PHPA/PEI formulation was lower than those of the PAtBA/PEI and PAM/PEI systems reported in literature. Both storage (G’) and loss (G”) moduli varied proportionally and following exponential relationships with polymer concentration, crosslinker concentration, polymer’s molecular weight and temperature but unproportionally with the presence of inorganic salts (NaCl and CaCl2). On the other side, the effect of the gelant solution’s initial pH on the final gel strength was variable, with stronger gels formed around pH≈10, which was related to the asymmetrical effect of the pH on the two reactants (PHPA and PEI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universite de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, (Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l’Environnement et les matériaux), 2 avenue P. Angot, Technopôle Hélioparc, 64000, Pau, France

    Mohammed Abdelfetah Ghriga & Bruno Grassl

  2. Universite de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour CNRS TotalEnergies, LFCR Allée du Parc Montaury, E2S UPPA, 64600, Anglet, France

    Seif El Islam Lebouachera

  3. Centre de Recherche en Technologie Semi-Conducteurs Pour L’Energétique -Division CCPM, N2, Bd Dr. Frantz Fanon, P.O. Box 140, Alger Sept merveilles, 16038, Algérie

    Nadjib Drouiche

Authors
  1. Mohammed Abdelfetah Ghriga
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  2. Seif El Islam Lebouachera
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  3. Nadjib Drouiche
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  4. Bruno Grassl
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Correspondence to Mohammed Abdelfetah Ghriga or Nadjib Drouiche.

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Highlights

• The viscoelastic properties (storage and loss moduli) are investigated as function of the main controlling parameters namely polymer concentration, crosslinker concentration, polymer’s molecular weight, curing temperature, inorganic salts presence and initial pH.

• The gel strength of a typical formulation of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide/polyethylenimine (PHPA/PEI) is lower compared to similar PEI based gel systems reported in literature.

• The variation of the storage (G’) and loss (G”) moduli is correlated to the different controlling parameters through exponential relationships.

• The final gel strength is mainly dependent on the polymer’s hydrodynamic volume.

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Ghriga, M.A., Lebouachera, S.E.I., Drouiche, N. et al. Investigating the viscoelastic behavior of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide/polyethylenimine mixtures. J Polym Res 28, 275 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-021-02636-5

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