Rheological studies on the phase separation of hydroxypropylcellulose solution systems

Phase behavior of hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) in a mixed solvent of glycerol and water was investigated by two different rheological methods: rheooptical birefringence measurement in an elongational flow field and viscometric measurement in a shear flow field. The association process of the HPC chain during phase separation observed by the elongational flow birefringence method was also investigated by the shear viscometric method. The temperature dependence of chain rigidity was determined by measuring the intrinsic viscosity, and change in the conformation was investigated by observing elongational flow birefringence over the temperature range from the one-phase to inside a phase boundary. The results focus on the molecular process of phase separation. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.