Gel viscosity influenced by nanosilica phase morphology in high and low molecular weights PVA-ex-situ silica hybrids.

Change in poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) molecular weight has been found to affect nanosilica phase morphology in PVA-ex-situ silica aqueous gel which in turn influences shear viscometric parameters such as near-zero shear viscosity, pseudoplastic index, thixotropic index and net viscosity drop at various levels of nanosilica contents. About 25 °C rise in temperature does not produce any serious changes in these parameters from that studied at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]