Rheological Properties of Aqueous Suspensions of Chitin Crystallites

Rheologically, suspensions of chitin crystallites are found to behave as other molecular liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs). The average hydrodynamic diameter of the crystallites in the suspension at pH 4 is determined to be approximately 80 nm using dynamic light scattering. Conductimetric and pH titration results show that the pKa of the crystallites is 6.3, which is the same as that reported for chitosan. In combination with phase diagrams, flow properties of isotropic, biphasic, and anisotropic chitin suspensions were investigated. For isotropic suspensions, a classical shear thinning behavior of rodlike particles is observed. In the case of biphasic suspensions, a two-regime curve is observed where tactoids first orient, deform, and then break up under a shearing force. Similar to other LCPs, a three-regime flow curve is found for the anisotropic suspensions. The viscosity-concentration curve exhibits a maximum at the phase separation concentration, and this maximum is less distinct with a decrease of the ionic strength. Secondary electroviscous effects due to strong particle-particle interactions influence the viscosity of the suspensions at higher concentrations.