Rheological properties of aqueous solutions of polyethylene glycols with various molecular weights

The dependences of the kinematic viscosity of dilute aqueous solutions of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) with various molecular weights in the temperature range of 293.15–323.15 K were investigated. The intrinsic viscosity, the Huggins constant, and the activation energy of a viscous flow were calculated for these solutions. Proposals regarding the structure of polymer macromolecules in solution are made. The constants of the Mark-Kuhn-Hauvink equation required to estimate the polymer molecular weights were determined for PEG-water systems at various temperatures.