1.

Ostwald viscometer experiment was conducted to calculate the molecular weight of a polymer
using intrinsic viscosity calculations. The average flow time for different concentrations in aqueous
phase was calculated to travel a standard given volume; and calculated as 38 s, 45 s, 48 s, 49 s for
0.025 g/dl, 0.050 g/dl, 0.075 g/dl and 0.100 g/dl solutions respectively. Determine the molecular
weight of the polymer sample using the Mark-Houwink equation.
Use constants’ value a= 0.66 and K= 0.00068 for water solvent with polymer at 30 ± 0.1°C. Note
the average time flow of distilled water is 25 s.

Sol. At first, the reduced viscosity values for each polymer concentration was calculated in the Table
below.
Given: Average flow time of distilled water, t0 = 25 s.

P5 Average Flo Relative Specific Reduced

Concentration Time of PS- Viscosity, Viscosity Viscosity,
‘c’ (g/dl) Solvent System ηr= t/t0 ηsp = ηr – 1 ηred = ηsp/c
(s) (dl/g)

0.025 38 1.52 0.52 20.80

0.050 45 1.80 0.80 16.00

0.075 48 1.92 0.92 12.27

0.100 49 1.96 0.96 9.60

Using the data calculated in the above table, a graph is plotted between reduced viscosity (Y-axis) and
concentration (along X-axis) of polymeric surfactant solution.Intrinsic viscosity is obtained by
extrapolating the reduced viscosity plot-line to zero concentration.
The value of intrinsic viscosity[η] is measured from the graph as 22.8 s.

Mark–Houwink equation gives a relation between intrinsic viscosity [η] and molecular weight M (in
grams per mole or g/mol).

[η] = K. Ma

K and a are constants the values of which depend on the nature of the polymer and solvent as well as on
temperature. We use a= 0.66 and K= 0.00068 for water solvent with polymer. Therefore, putting the
known values in above equation, we get,

22.8 = (0.00068)(M)0.66

=> (M)0.66 = 22.8/0.00068

=>M = 7,189,620 g/mol

Or, 7.189 × 106 g/mol

Hence, the polymer sample is found to have a molecular weight of 7.189 × 106 g/mol.