Carbon dioxide was absorbed into aqueous polyacrylamide (PAA) solution containing diethanolamine (DEA) of 0-2 kmol/m(3) in a flat-stirred vessel with the impeller of 0.034 m and agitation speed of 50 rpm at 25 degrees C and 0.101 MPa to measure the absorption rate Of CO2. The volumetric liquid-side mass transfer coefficient (k(L)a) was obtained from the dimensionless empirical correlation formula presenting the rheological behavior of aqueous PAA solution. PAA with elastic property of non-Newtonian liquid made the rate of chemical absorption of CO2 accelerate compared with Newtonian liquid based on the same viscosity of the solution. The estimated value of the absorption rate of CO2 was obtained from the model based on the film theory accompanied by chemical reaction and compared with the measured value. (C) 2007 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.