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Viscometry

Macromolecules increase the viscosity of a solution already at very low concentrations. The increase of the viscosity is not only dependent on the molecular weight but also dependent on the shape of the macromolecules. The shape and conformation of a random coil polymer depends on the solvent as well as on the temperature. In order to use viscometry measurements as a relative method to determine the molecular weight it is necessary to perform the measurements at constant temperature in the same solvent.
In general, the viscosity of a polymer solution is denoted as n , the viscosity of the solvent n, and the polymer concentration c. In the literature the following viscosity numbers are defined.

Relative viscosity nr=n/no (1)
Spezific viscosity nsp=nr-l (2)
Reduced viscosit nred=nsp/C (3)

The intrinsic viscosity [n] ist defined as
[n]=lim nred c->0

[n] is the limit of the reduced viscosity at infinite dilution. The extrapolation leads in general to a linear dependence and the intrinsic viscosity [n] and can be obtained graphically by extrapolation to concentration c=0

Ubbelohde capillary viscometer
Abb.1: A standard Ubbelohde capillary viscometer.



Mark-Houwink-equation relates the intrinsic viscometry with the molecular mass

[n]=KM^a (13)

The log-log plot of [n] versus the molecular weight leads to a straight line with the slope a and the intercept log K. For many polymer/solvent systems the a- and K-values are tabulated in the literature (Polymer Handbook).

For viscosity measurements a Ubbelohde viscometer is available.


contact:   Sandra Seywald Christine Rosenauer     Rainer Lösch
Phone: 06131-379 - 227       06131-379 - 225       06131-379 - 225

contact: Rainer Lösch (Tel: 06131-379-225)