PH-SENSITIVE SWELLING OF A POLYELECTROLYTE COMPLEX GEL PREPARED FROM XANTHAN AND CHITOSAN

Swelling of a polyelectrolyte complex gel prepared from xanthan and chitosan was sensitive to the ambient pH. In NaOH solutions, the complex gel swelled at pH 10-12, and the maximum swelling was observed at pH 10, The gel also swelled in HCl solution at pH 0, though it dissolved at pH 0.2-1.0 in the course of swelling, In NaCl solutions and Carmody buffer solutions, the pH at which the maximum swelling occurred shifted to pH 8 though the equilibrium swelling ratio decreased.