Polymer Bulletin, Vol.63, No.6, 853-863, 2009
Shear-thinning and viscosity synergism in mixed solution of guar gum and its etherified derivatives
The flow properties of mixed solution of guar gum and carboxymethyl guar gum, including shear-thinning and viscosity synergism, have been studied at different mixed ratios, shear rates and temperatures using rheometer. The results show that addition of carboxymethyl guar gum enhances shear-thinning behavior and increases viscosity in guar gum solution at a given range of mixed ratios. The temperature-dependence of the mixed solution is markedly different from a single solution. The activation energy of blends with 50 and 75% of guar gum were determined to be 11.02 and 10.39 kJ mol(-1), respectively, lower than that of a single solution. These results indicate that the network structure of viscous solution has been changed because carboxymethyl groups branched in galactomannans had changed the interaction among macromolecular chains.