QUICK WAY TO PREPARE ANISOTROPIC SOLUTIONS OF HYDROXYPROPYLCELLULOSE IN WATER

A technique for the quick preparation of highly concentrated solution of stiff chain polymers is presented. Air-dry hydroxypropylcellulose was mixed with the calculated amount of distilled water in a sealed vial. The vial was heated until the formation of a white precipitate. After cooling, the solution was homogenized and prepared for investigations. A gas-phase chromatograph with two aquagels was used to check the molecular weight distribution before and after the dissolving process. Liquid crystalline behavior was determined visually with a THM 600 hot stage mounted on an optical microscope. The technique of solution preparation may have general applicability to lyotropic systems.