Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.76, No.13, 1910-1919, 2000
Flow of mixtures of poly(ethylene oxide) and hydrolyzed polyacrylamide solutions through opposed jets
The flow of solutions of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAA), and their blends through opposed jets is investigated. Measurements of pressure drop across the jets as a function of strain rate were used to characterize the elongational flow behavior. In deionized water, solutions of PEO/HPAA mixtures exhibit a synergistic increase in flow resistance with respect to the parent polymer solutions. The addition of amounts of HPAA as low as 2 ppm to a 500 ppm PEO solution cause sizeable increases in pressure drops. Such increases have been interpreted as arising from the formation of interpolymer transient entanglement networks that become mechanically active at time scales equivalent to the lowest strain rates available. In the case of excess salt environment, the flow resistance of the mixtures seems to be dominated by the PEO in the concentration range explored.
Keywords:opposed jet flow;poly(ethylene oxide);hydrolyzed polyacrylamide;mixtures;transient networks