Phase behavior of concentrated hydroxypropyl methylcellulose solution in the presence of mono and divalent salt

Thermo reversible sol-gel transitions of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) are critical for many pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food applications. This study examined the effects of salt (NaCl and CaCl₂) on the viscoelastic properties of concentrated low molecular weight HPMC solutions and found that the gelation temperature decreased linearly as a function of salt concentrations, independent of valency of cations and the mole concentration of anions. Thermal analysis showed that the depression of melting temperature can be fitted for both NaCl and CaCl₂ as a function of the total number of ions by a single linear curve, which was consistent with the melting point depression of pure water by NaCl and CaCl₂, but with a higher linear slope.