Temperature, concentration and salt effect on F68 tri-block copolymer in aqueous solution: Rheological study

Abstract

The rheology of the aqueous solution of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO−PPO−PEO) triblock copolymer, Pluronic F68 in the presence of KF was studied in the temperature range from 15 to 60°C. The variation of the shear stress according to the shear rate shows that independently from the temperature and concentration, the F68 solutions exhibit a Newtonian behavior. The results show that the Critical Micelle Temperature of Pluronic F68 in a KF aqueous solution decreases with the increase in the salt concentration.