Laser speckle analysis on correlation between gelation and phase separation in aqueous methyl cellulose solutions |
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| Authors: | Hiroki Takeshita Keiichi Saito Masamitsu Miya Katsuhiko Takenaka Tomoo Shiomi |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Materials Science and Technology, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603‐1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940‐2188, Japan;2. Center for Green‐Tech Development in Asia, Nagaoka University of Technology, 1603‐1 Kamitomioka, Nagaoka, Niigata 940‐2188, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Structure formation by coupling between formation of crosslinking points and liquid–liquid phase separation was investigated for aqueous methyl cellulose solution by small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and light scattering (LS) techniques. The sol–gel phase diagram and the SAXS results suggested that the liquid–liquid phase separation occurred before gelation. By LS measurements, the structure due to the liquid–liquid phase separation was directly observed. By applying speckle analysis on the LS profiles, it was suggested that the gelation and the phase separation strongly coupled each other: the increase in the apparent molecular weight by crosslinking induced the liquid–liquid phase separation. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 168–174, 2010 |
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| Keywords: | gelation hydrogels light scattering phase separation speckle |
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