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The Gelation of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) with Na2B4O7 10H2O: Killing Slime
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Abstract
The gelation of poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA, with sodium tetraborate decahydrate (borax) to produce "slime" is a popular chemistry demonstration (1). Since the borate serves to cross-link the PVA, the degree of cross-linking can be varied by changing the borate concentration (2). One way of changing the concentration of borate available to hold the PVA chains together is to "disable" the borate by protonation with a strong acid (3, 4). The titration of slime with sulfuric acid (eq 1) allows students to examine the relationship between cross-linking, viscosity, and the onset of gelation. This modification to a popular chemistry demonstration produces an interesting chemistry laboratory experiment designed to introduce students to the relationship between molecular structure and the bulk properties of macromolecules.
Keywords (Audience):
High School / Introductory ChemistryKeywords (Domain):
Polymer ChemistryKeywords (Pedagogy):
Hands-On Learning / ManipulativesKeywords (Subject):
Titration / Volumetric AnalysisCiting Articles
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This article has been cited by 4 ACS Journal articles (4 most recent appear below).
A Polymer in Everyday Life: The Isolation of Poly(vinyl alcohol) from Aqueous PVA Glues. An Undergraduate Chemistry Experiment
Yueh-Huey Chen , Jing-Fun YaungJournal of Chemical Education2006 83 (10), 1534A Polymer in Everyday Life: The Isolation of Poly(vinyl alcohol) from Aqueous PVA Glues. An Undergraduate Chemistry Experiment
Yueh-Huey Chen , Jing-Fun YaungJournal of Chemical Education2006 83 (10), 1534In this article, we present a simple undergraduate chemistry laboratory involving the polymers commonly used in everyday life and the IR spectroscopy for functional groups identification. The polymer contained in the PVA glue is further hydrolyzed to poly(...
Ion Migration through a Polymer Solution: Microviscosity
Shun-Cheng Wang and Heng-Kwong TsaoMacromolecules2003 36 (24), 9128-9134Ion Migration through a Polymer Solution: Microviscosity
Shun-Cheng Wang and Heng-Kwong TsaoMacromolecules2003 36 (24), 9128-9134The ion migration in polymer solutions of different molecular weights is investigated by conductometry for various inorganic salts. The electric conductivity declines with increasing the number concentration of polymer cp at a given salt concentration c...
The Science Teacher: Winter 2003
Steve LongJournal of Chemical Education2003 80 (2), 135The Science Teacher: Winter 2003
Steve LongJournal of Chemical Education2003 80 (2), 135This report covers articles from The Science Teacher from May through November 2002. Because the May and September issues did not contain any chemistry-related articles, this review focuses upon the October and November issues. They contain articles ...
How To Learn and Have Fun with Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) and White Glue
V. de Zea Bermudez , P. Passos de Almeida and J. Féria SeitaJournal of Chemical Education1998 75 (11), 1410How To Learn and Have Fun with Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) and White Glue
V. de Zea Bermudez , P. Passos de Almeida and J. Féria SeitaJournal of Chemical Education1998 75 (11), 1410The general behavior of Newtonian, shear-thinning, shear-thickening, thixotropic, negative thixotropic, and viscoelastic fluids is characterized and briefly discussed in terms of existing theoretical models. Whenever possible, examples of these types of ...
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- Received: August 03, 2009
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