Thermorheologic properties of aqueous solutions and gels of Tetronic 1508.

The rheologic properties of aqueous solutions and gels of Tetronic 1508 were investigated as a function of polymer concentration and temperature utilizing rotational viscometry. Below the sol-gel transition temperature the polymer solutions were low in viscosity and exhibited Newtonian rheologic behavior even at concentrations of 20 and 25% (w/w). Upon sol-gel transition, the more concentrated polymer solutions underwent a dramatic four- to five-orders of magnitude increase in viscosity, resulting in the formation of a rigid gel structure. Above the sol-gel transition temperature, the gels displayed pseudoplastic and plastic rheologic properties and the viscosity of the gels remained at a relatively constant value over a wide temperature range. Eventually, the thermal energy of the system exceeded the bonding forces within the gel structure, resulting in a gel-sol transition which was marked by a dramatic decrease in the viscosity of the system. Above the gel-sol transition temperature, the system reverted to a Newtonian fluid with viscosities very similar to those found for the Tetronic 1508 solutions at temperatures below the sol-gel transition temperature. The thermodynamic implications of the gel-sol transition are discussed.