Dilute solution behaviour of progressively hydrolyzed polyacrylamide in water–N, N dimethylformamide mixtures

The intrinsic viscosities [η’s] of anionic (hydrolyzed; low and high carboxyl content) and nonionic polyacrylamide (unhydrolyzed) were measured in water–N, N dimethylformamide mixtures at various temperatures. Non-polyelectrolyte behavior of low carboxyl content polyacrylamide was observed in mixed solvent system. The plots of [η] vs. solvent composition in a mixed solvent system pass through minima for both high as well as low carboxyl content polymers but through a maximum for nonionic polyacrylamide. Observed minimum for charged polymers may be attributed to the loss of polymer sites available to interact with solvent for H-bonding interaction between neighboring amide and the acid groups. The maximum for nonionic polymer at the particular solvent composition arises for the most powerful cosolvent effect. Existence of two antagonistic effects is apparent in [η] values of nonionic polymer at various temperatures. Huggins constant (KH) also indicates a significant variation of cosolvency as a function of solvent composition. Activation parameters of viscous flow were calculated using Frenkel–Eyring equation. The volume related parameter and the shape factor were also computed. Shape factor data indicate that polymer molecules are more or less rigid spheres and are not affected by temperature and composition of solvent.