The Effect of Urea on Volumetric and Viscometric Properties of Aqueous Solutions of Poly(ethylene oxide)

The density and the viscosity of aqueous PEO solutions are observed with the several concentrations of PEO at 20 ℃. The effects of urea on them are also observed. The apparent and the partial specific volumes of PEO are calculated from the density data, which result that the polymer-polymer interaction is dominating in the binary aqueous PEO solutions, while the polymer-solvent interaction is dominating in the ternary aqueous urea-PEO solutions. It is explained by the urea induced breakage of the structured water originated from the hydrophobic interactions and the binding of the urea to the PEO chain. The concentration dependence of relative viscosity and the density dependence of fluidity is also discussed with the concept of the polymersolvent and the polymer-polymer interactions of aqueous urea-PEO solutions.