Effect of temperature on the intrinsic viscosity of poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) blends in aqueous solutions

In this work the intrinsic viscosity of poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) blends in aqueous solutions were measured at 283.1-313.1 K. The expansion factor of polymer chain was calculated by use of the intrinsic viscosities data. The thermodynamic parameters of polymer solution (the entropy of dilution parameter, the heat of dilution parameter, theta temperature, polymer-solvent interaction parameter and second osmotic virial coefficient) were evaluated by temperature dependence of polymer chain expansion factor. The obtained thermodynamic parameters indicate that quality of water was decreased for solutions of poly(ethylene oxide), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) and poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(vinylpyrrolidone) blends by increasing temperature. Compatibility of poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) blends were explained in terms of difference between experimental and ideal intrinsic viscosity and solvent-polymer interaction parameter. The results indicate that the poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) blends were incompatible. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.