Study on the viscosity of cationic gemini surfactant-nonionic polymer complex in water

Interactions between a cationic gemini surfactant, 1,2-ethane bis(dimethyl dodecylammonium bromide) (designated as 12-2-12), and a nonionic polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were investigated by means of viscosity and specific conductance. Results show that PVA displays special viscosity behavior in aqueous solutions containing the gemini surfactant 12-2-12, which is due to the molecular interaction of the polymer and the surfactant. It was found that the special viscosity depended on ionization of the surfactant, as well as polymer concentration and surfactant concentration in the nonionic polymer-surfactant system. A theoretical expression for the dependence of the solution viscosity on the ionization of the surfactant micelle was given, and the new equation proved to be in good agreement with the experimental data. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.