CONFORMATION AND THERMAL-STABILITY OF OXIDIZED SCLEROGLUCAN CHAINS INAQUEOUS NAOH

The solution behaviour of the polycarboxylic acid derived from sclerog lucan (sclerox) has been investigated as a function of NaOH concentrat ion and temperature by means of polarimetry and viscosimetry technique s. In comparison to the native polymer, sclerox is less sensitive to d egradation at high NaOH concentration (up to NaOH equal to 0.4 M) and thermally more stable. The viscosity data show a ''normal'' polyelectr olyte effect and the polymer chains seem to be not stiff. We conclude that at high pH sclerox chains are in a flexible, probably single stra nded conformation.