Application Note - Viscosity Control with Thermo-responsive Polymers

Poloxamers are available with different block ratios and total average molecular weights. The various macromolecules can be used to control the temperature dependent viscosity behavior of aqueous formulations. Specifically, these polymers can produce a maximum in the viscosity with temperature rather than a simple Arrhenius response. To illustrate the impact of molecular structure on the solution rheology, we compare viscosity profiles for two different poloxamers (P407, P188) and a mixture of the two.

Although both polymers can self-assemble in solution due to their amphiphilic nature, the variation in molecular structure produces a different transition with temperature associated with changes in component interactions and solution microstructure. Viscosity is a sensitive indicator of such molecular level behavior.

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