Poly(ethylene oxide)- and poly(acrylamide)-based water-soluble associative polymers: Synthesis, characterisation, properties in solution
Résumé
The association behaviour of hydrophobically modified water-soluble polymers in aqueous solutions and its manifestation in the rheological properties are discussed. In particular, solutions of (i) end-hydrophobically modified poly(ethylene oxide) and (ii) poly(acrylamide) with grafted hydrophobic side-chains are considered. We demonstrate that balance between intra- and inter-molecular aggregation and, as a result, rheological behaviour in the solution depend both on polymer architecture and strength of hydrophobic interactions which can be tuned by variation in, e.g., salinity or temperature. © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry.