Novel rheological model for the gelation kinetics of ionic polysaccharides

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Abstract
Homogeneous networks of an ionic polysaccharide (namely pectate) in the presence of divalent ions were prepared in situ by proper procedure and the kinetics of the gel formation was studied by means of a coaxial cylinder rheometer in oscillatory flow conditions. The stress response was expanded in a Fourier series and the variation of the components of the fundamental harmonic with time during the gelation process were examined. A model is proposed for the correlation between kinetic parameters such as the concentration of the species active during the gel formation and the rheological parameters that can be experimentally determined, like G′ and G′′. Considerations are developed concerning the mechanism that governs the gelation process under dynamic conditions.