Formation of ordered phases of (hydroxypropyl)cellulose in miscible and immiscible isobutyric acid‐water mixtures

Abstract

Abstract(Hydroxypropyl)cellulose (HPC) is known to form birefringent liquid‐crystalline phases at elevated polymer concentrations in either water or isobutyric acid (IBA). The HPC concentration at which the polymeric phase exhibits birefringence decreases as the IBA content in mixed H2O/IBA solvents decreases, even though the concentration ϕic for the formation of an ordered phase of HPC in water is greater than that in IBA. Water is a spectator component and apparently does not participate in the formation of a birefringent phase when IBA is present. A birefringent phase forms once the concentration of HPC in the solution omitting the H2O equals the ϕic of binary HPC/IBA solutions for temperatures from 23 to 95°C. The strong preferential affinity of HPC for IBA is visually evident as an HPC coagulate separates from dilute solution when the solvent mixture contains as little as 5% IBA. The coagulate dissolves to give a monophasic isotropic solution as the IBA content in the solvent is increased. A heterogeneous system in which a clear supernatant fluid covers a pearly white polymeric phase forms when the solvent mixture is immiscible and the HPC content is less than 50%. At high HPC content, the classical appearance associated with concentrated HPC solutions is seen. The optical and rheological properties of the heterogeneous systems are compared with those of homogeneous solutions at several HPC concentrations.