ON THE TIME-DEPENDENCY OF THE FLOW-INDUCED DYNAMIC MODULI OF A LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE HYDROXYPROPYLCELLULOSE SOLUTION

Some unusual rheological features of a liquid crystalline solution of hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) in water have been investigated. Measurem ents have been performed by using a variety of different apparatuses w ith cone and plate geometries. Particular attention has been devoted t o the experimental procedures, including the use of different sealing techniques, which are necessary to avoid solvent evaporation during th e very long transients. Shear fracture effects, and their dependence o n the type of sealing agents have also been studied. In steady shear, the HPC solution shows some rheological features which are common to o ther lyotropic systems, such as a three-region viscosity curve, and a double sign change in the first normal stress difference vs shear rate curve. The structural changes which take place after cessation of she ar flow have been investigated by following the evolution of the dynam ic moduli as a function of the time elapsed after the shear flow is st opped. It was found that the rate of the previously applied shear stro ngly affects both the kinetics and the asymptotic, long time values of the dynamic properties. Possible explanations for such behavior in te rms of microstructure evolution are presented and discussed.