Abstract
Some rheological properties of subfractions for dextran in the molecular weights range from $3{\times}10^4$ to $2{\times}10^6$ was investigated at room temperature. The dependence of the viscosity on concentration, shear rate, pH & ionic strength, temperature and solvent effect was observed. From the experimental data the Mark-Houwink viscosity equation in water at $25^{\circ}C$ was determined for samples having the molecular weight ranging from $3{\times}10^4$ to $2{\times}10^6$ as$[{\eta}]=3.1{\times}10^{-3}\;Mw^{0.39}(in\;dl/g)$. The intrinsic stiffness of the dextran backbone was estimated by evaluating the 'characteristic ratio' $C_{\infty}$, which is below the 0.082. In the concentrated region, the viscosity was decreased with increasing shear rate and was exponentially decreased with raising temperature, the viscosity showed the maximum value at neutral condition. From the experimental data, it was concluded that dextran chain, linked by the ${\alpha}-1$, 6-glucosidic linkage, behaves like a flexible random coil chain in aqueous solution, dextran solutions were pseudoplastic power law fluids among the empirical models of non-Newtonian behavior. Urea was an active reagent which increases the viscosity and swells dextran while pyrididine and glycerol were inactive reagents. Also, it could be estimated that the formation of gel structure is promote to the neutral state, the molecular weight larger than $2{\times}10^5$, when electrolytic concentration is IN and Ureas is use to solvent.