Kinetics of the Initial Stage of Gelation in Chitosan Solutions Containing Glutaric Aldehyde: Viscometric Study

The effects of glutaric aldehyde concentration C _GA(in the range from 0.07 to 0.2 wt %) and temperature T(from 20 to 65°C) on the kinetics of an increase in the effective viscosity _effof aqueous solutions of chitosans (C _CH= 2.4 wt %, pH 3.6, and ionic strength I= 0.05) with molecular masses equal to 33 × 10⁴and 55 × 10⁴and the degrees of substitution at N-acetyl and amino groups of 0.08 and 0.90, respectively were studied. The kinetic curves _eff(t) exhibited the induction periods of a relatively slight increase in the viscosity of chitosan–glutaric aldehyde mixed solutions with time followed by the periods of a drastic increase in the viscosity. The former periods correspond to the formation of gel clusters; the latter periods, to the gelation over the whole volume of a solution. Optimal ranges of the parameters C _GAand Twere determined for the preparation of spherical gel particles of slightly cross-linked chitosan, which are used for the sorption of heavy metals from low-concentrated solutions.