Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Weak Gel Behaviour of Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Borax Aqueous Solutions

  • Published:
Journal of Polymer Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Thermal transition of PVA-borax aqueous gels with a PVA concentration of 60 g/L and a borax concentration of 0.28 M was investigated at temperatures ranging from 15 to 60 ○C using static light scattering (SLS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and dynamic viscoelasticity measurements. Three relaxation modes, i.e. two fast and one slow relaxation modes, were observed from DLS measurements. Two fast relaxation modes located around 10−3∼101 sec, with one fast mode (τf1) being scattering vector q-dependent and the other fast mode (τf2, with τf2>τf1) being q-independent. The τf1 mode was attributed to the gel mode whilst the τf2 mode could be due to the hydrodynamics of intra-molecular hydrophobic domains formed by uncharged segments of polymer backbones. The slow relaxation mode with relaxation time located around 101∼103 sec in DLS data was due to the motion of aggregated clusters and was observed only at temperatures above 40 ○C. The amplitude and relaxation time of slow mode decrease as temperature is increased from 40 to 60 ○C. At temperatures below 40 ○C, no slow relaxation mode was observed. The SLS measurements showed PVA-borax-water system had fractal dimensions D f∼2.4 and D f≤2.0 as temperature was below and above 40 ○C, respectively. The simple tilting test indicated gel behaviour for the PVA-borax aqueous system at temperatures below 40 ○C with a creep flow after a long time exposure in the gravity field. But the dynamic viscoelasticity measurements demonstrated a solution behaviour for PVA/borax/water at temperatures below 40 ○C, the critical gel point behaviour for G′(ω) and G″(ω) was not observed in this system as those reported for chemical crosslinked gels. These results suggest that the PVA-borax aqueous system is a thermoreversible weak gel.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. I. Sakurada, Polyvinyl Alcohol Fibers. Marcel Dekker, New York, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  2. H. Ochiai, Y. Kurita and I. Murakami, Makromol. Chem., 185, 167 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  3. M. Shibayama, M. Sato, Y. Kimura, H. Fujiwara and S. Nomura, Polymer, 29, 336 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  4. H. L. Lin, T. L. Yu and C. H. Cheng, Colloid Polym. Sci., 278, 187 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  5. H. Kurokawa, M. Shibayama, T. Ishimaru, S. Nomura and W. L. Wu, Polymer, 33, 2182 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  6. E. Pezron, L. Leibler, A. Ricard, F. Lafuma and R. Audebert, Macromolecules, 21, 1121, 1126 (1988), 22, 1169 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  7. L. Leibler, E. Pezron and P. A. Pincus, Polymer, 29, 1105 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  8. H. Ochiai, Y. Kurita and I. Murakami, Markromol. Chem., 185, 167 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  9. G. Keita, A. Ricard, R. Audebert, E. Pezron and L. Leibler, Polymer, 36, 49 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  10. M. Shibayama, T. Takeshi and S. Nomura, Macromolecules, 27, 5350 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  11. A. Koike, N. Nemoto, T. Inoue and K. Osaki, Macromolecules, 28, 2339 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  12. I. D. Robb and J. B. A. F. Smeulders, Polymer, 38, 2165 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  13. L. Fang and W. Brown, Macromolecules, 23, 3284 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  14. A. L. Kjoniksen and B. Nystrom, Macromolecules, 29, 5215, 7116 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  15. P. N. Pusey and W. van Megen, Physica, A 157, 705 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  16. J. G. H. Joosten, E. Gelade and P. N. Pusey, Phys. Rev., A 42, 2161 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  17. J. G. H. Joosten, J. L. McCarthy and P. N. Pusey, Macromolecules, 24, 6690 (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  18. F. Horkay, W. Burchard, A. M. Hecht and E. Geissler, Macromolecules, 26, 3375, 4203 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  19. F. Horkay, W. Burchard, E. Geissler and A. M. Hecht, Macromolecules, 26, 1296 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  20. J. E. Martin and J. P. Wilcoxon, Phys. Rev. Lett., 39, 373 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  21. P. Lang and W. Burchard, Macromolecules, 24, 1991 (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  22. M. Sedlak and E. Amis, J. Chem. Phys., 96, 817 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  23. T. Sun and H. E. King, Macromolecules, 29, 3175 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  24. E. J. Amis, P. A. Janmey, J. D. Ferry and H. Yu, Macromolecules, 16, 441 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  25. A. Topp, L. Belkoura and D. Woermann, Macromolecules, 29, 5392 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  26. W. Nerling and E. Nordmeir, Polym. J., 29, 795 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  27. T. Nicolai, D. Durand and J. C. Gimel, Light Scattering Principles and Development, W. Brown, Ed., Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1996, Chap. 6.

    Google Scholar 

  28. H. H. Winter and F. Chambon, J. Rheol., 30, 367 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  29. H. H. Winter, Polym. Eng. Sci., 27, 1698 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  30. H. H. Winter, P. Morganelli and F. Chambon, Macromolecules, 21, 532 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  31. J. E. Martin, D. Adolf and J. P. Wilcoxon, Phys. Rev. Lett., 39, 2620 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  32. J. E. Martin, D. Adolf and J. P. Wilcoxon, Phys. Rev., A 39, 1325 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  33. A. Izuka, H. H. Winter and T. Hashimoto, Macromolecules, 25, 2422 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  34. M. Muthukumar and H. H. Winter, Macromolecules, 19, 1284 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  35. F. Chambon and H. H. Winter, Polym. Bull., 13, 499 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  36. F. Chambon, Z. Petrovic, W. J. Macknight and H. H. Winter, Macromolecules, 19, 2146 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  37. P. Schurtenberger, R. Scartazzini and P. L. Luisi, Rheol. Acta, 28, 372 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  38. P. Lang and W. Burchard, Macromolecules, 24, 814 (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  39. J. M. Yu, P. Duibois, P. Teyssie, R. Jerome, S. Blacher, F. Brouers and G. L'Homme, Macromolecules, 29, 5384 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  40. S. Hsu and A. M. Jamieson, Polymer, 34, 2602 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  41. F. Chambon and H. H. Winter, J. Rheol., 31, 683 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  42. M. Antinietti, K. J. Folsch, H. Sillescu and T. Pakula, Macromolecules, 22, 2812 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Yaun Ze University Nei-Li, Taoyuan, 32026, Taiwan, ROC

    Hsiu-Li Lin, Wen-Horng Liu, Kun-Sheng Shen & T. Leon Yu

  2. Department of Chemistry, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, 30035, Taiwan, ROC

    Chien-Horng Cheng

Authors
  1. Hsiu-Li Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wen-Horng Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kun-Sheng Shen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. T. Leon Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Chien-Horng Cheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lin, HL., Liu, WH., Shen, KS. et al. Weak Gel Behaviour of Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Borax Aqueous Solutions. Journal of Polymer Research 10, 171–179 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026060630998

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1026060630998

Search

Navigation