Poster: Solution Viscosity Characterization of Sustainable and Biomedical Polymers, a rapid method

By Alba Cárdenas, Tonica González, Felipe Cordero, Alberto Ortín, Laura Santonja-Blasco. Polymer Char, Valencia, Spain.

Solution Viscosity Characterization of Sustainable and Biomedical Polymers: A Rapid Method

Abstract:

Reliable monitoring of molecular-weight changes is essential for assessing the processing, stability, and quality of sustainable and biomedical polymers, as structural degradation may occur before visible changes are detected. Solution viscometry provides a direct and sensitive approach to evaluating these changes through intrinsic viscosity (IV), which can be correlated with viscosity-average molecular weight. In this work, the applicability of an automated solution viscometry method was evaluated for three chemically distinct polymers: polylactic acid (PLA), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), and poly(γ-glutamic acid) (PGA). Measurements were performed using an IVA Versa automated two-capillary relative viscometer, following ASTM D5225 and ISO 1628-1:2024 principles. The IVA Versa system automates solution handling and differential viscometry, with an analysis time of approximately 8 min per injection.

The results demonstrate the applicability of automated solution viscometry for rapid and precise characterization of structurally diverse bio-based polymers, supporting molecular-weight assessment, process evaluation, and degradation monitoring.