Incorporated Polyelectrolyte Chain Effects on the Rheological Properties of Polyacrylamide Hydrogel with and without Monovalent Salt

Abstract

In the current study, we have studied the effect of entrapped polyelectrolyte chains of NaPSS on the viscoelastic behaviour of the gels in the presence of monovalent salt using rheological measurements. It is seen that the storage modulus G’ depends on the non-gelling polymer concentration. With the increase of NaPSS concentration, the storage modulus of gels gradually decreases, weakening the gel strength. However, with the addition of a monovalent salt of NaCl, the gel deswells and improves the mechanical strength of the samples.