Abstract
The high viscous ${\gamma}$-polyglutamic acid(${\gamma}$-PGA) from alkalophilic Alcaligenes sp. was purified and its solution property was investigated. The intrinsic viscosities for Na+ form and H+ form of ${\gamma}$-PGA were 31.1 and 0.38d$\ell$/g, respectively. The viscosity of H+-PGA was not influenced by pH or salts while that of Na+-PGA was influenced. The intrinsic viscosity of Na+-PGA solution decreased remarkably at the alkaline or acidic pH and showed the sharp decrease when salts were added. ${\gamma}$-PGA exhibited the property of the polyelectrolyte showing the .sharp decrease of intrinsic viscosity by the addition of NaCl, and intrinsic viscosity of dilute solution with the low concentration of NaCl was exponentially dependent on temperature and its temperature dependency increased with increasing NaCl concentration. The chain stiffness, coil overlap parameter and critical concentration of Na+-PGA were 0.08, 5.25 and 0.07g/d$\ell$, respectively.
