User:Vincent Kenny2015

Reduced Specific Viscosity The reduced specific viscosity of polymer relates the concentration of a polymer in solution to the relative viscosity. [1]

The equation which can be used to compute the reduced specific viscosity is η_(sp )/c=((η/η_o -1))/c   [2]

This equation uses the solution viscosity, η, the solvent viscosity, ηo, and the concentration of polymer, c to define the reduced specific viscosity. Conventional units associated with the equation are deciliters per gram for viscosities and grams per deciliter for concentration.[2] The numerator is the specific viscosity of the solution, ηsp which “expresses the incremental viscosity attributable to the polymeric solute.”[1]

The reduced specific viscosity is useful when determining the intrinsic viscosity of a solution. By taking the limit as concentration approaches 0 the intrinsic viscosity can be determined. This is most frequently done by extrapolating a plot of the reduced specific velocity versus concentration. The slope of this plot will be approximately proportional to the square of the intrinsic viscosity with the intercept being the intrinsic viscosity.[1]

1. Flory, Paul J. Principles of Polymer Chemistry. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1953. Print.

Rudin, Alfred, and Phillip Choi. "Practical Aspects of Molecular Weight Measurements." The Elements of Polymer Science and Engineering. Third ed. San Diego: Elsevier/AP, 2013. 113-41. Print.