IONIC-STRENGTH AND TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE OF OXIDIZED SCLEROGLUCAN SOLUTION PROPERTIES - OPTICAL-ACTIVITY AND VISCOSITY DATA

The physicochemical properties of oxidized scleroglucan have been inve stigated in aqueous solution as a function of ionic strength and/or te mperature by means of polarimetry and viscosimetry techniques. For low salt concentrations (0.2 M NaCl) a normal polyelectrolyte behaviour w as detected. Increasing the ionic strength up to 5.0 M NaCl a variatio n of chain structure would occur. Peculiar to the system was the tempe rature role which resulted in an irreversible annealing whose effect b ecame stronger as the thermal cycles were repeated: a similar annealin g process was also shown in the presence of salt (NaCl).