STM Journals Peer-reviewed research from Consortium e-Learning Network

Journal of Modern Chemistry & Chemical Technology

Intrinsic Viscosity of Stud Plant Mucilage (Dicerocaryum Zanguebarium): Polymeric Studies at Infinite Dilution.

  1. Shadreck Muyambo
  2. I. Chikurunhe
  3. D. N. Moyo

Abstract

AbstractStudies on stud plant mucilage (SpM) showed that it constitute of galactose, mannose and xylose and it has a molecular weight of 500kDa. However, the behaviour of the polymer using intrinsic viscosity, in dilute regime, has not been explored. The research investigated the intrinsic viscosity of SpM in water, salt and sugar solutions. Salt solutions has poor solvent properties and hence reduced the intrinsic viscosity of SpM as opposed to sugars which enhance it. The shape of SpM particles, in water, are either oblate or prolate. The Berry numbers shows that, all SpM solutions (in water, salt and sugar solvents) were in dilute domain and the molecules portray a conformation which is between rod-like and random coil.  Keywords: Dicerocaryum zanguebarium, Intrinsic viscosity, Mucilage, Stud plant, Biopolymers

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