POLYELECTROLYTE COMPLEXES FORMATION BASED ON CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE SODIUM SALT (NACMC) AND QUATERNIZED POLY(4-VINYLPYRIDINE) (QP4VP)

Combining solutions of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes can lead to formation of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs). PECs are a topic of considerable interest; we use them for a number of applications. We discuss here the formation and the rheological behavior of the polyanion-polycation system. It consists of a long chain carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt (NaCMC) and a short chain charged poly(4-vinylpyridine) (QP4VP). The rheological properties of this system were improved by studying some effects on complex behavior, such as polycation concentration, salt concentration and temperature variation. PEC exhibited a shear thinning behavior at low shear rate, then it became newtonian at higher shear rate. The increase in QP4VP concentration led to a remarkable rise in viscosity of the complex. After that, we remarked a loss in viscosity caused by a total complexation of NaCMC. As a consequence, the complex changed its conformation.