Dynamic light scattering investigation of guar/dextran mixtures in aqueous solutions

Dextran and guar solutions and their mixtures were investigated by dynamic light scattering. The measurements have shown that dextran solutions present a major fast decay mode and another slower decay mode. Solutions of guar alone and dextran/guar mixtures have shown up to four different modes. The large number of modes may be caused by the aggregation of guar molecules. Although guar/dextran form very complicated mixtures, partly because of the aggregation of guar, an attempt is made to interpret these measurements within the framework of the theories of ternary polymer solutions. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.