eEffect of temperature and sodium chloride addition on the conductivity of sodium (polystyrene sulfonate)‎ aqueous solutions

Abstract EN

The conductivity of sodium (polystyrene sulfonate) (NaPSS) aqueous solutions as a function of NaPSS concentration 0.15 g - 2.0 g NaPSS in 100 mL of distilled water, sodium chloride concentration (NaCl) in the range of 0.1 M -0.4 M and in temperature range of 278 K - 328 K have been studied.

The study found that conductivity increases with increasing NaPSS concentration both in pure water and in salt solution.

It is also found that conductivity increases with increasing either NaCl concentration or temperature.

The interesting finding here is that additivity rule, that the conductivity of the polyelectrolyte kps in the salt solution is the sum of its conductivity kp in pure water plus the conductivity of the salt k, only holds at low NaPSS concentration and deviates at high NaPSS concentration.

This additivity rule holds better the higher the temperature and the higher the salt concentration.

What is more interesting is that the contribution of NaPSS to the conductivity of the solution is more in pure water than in salt solution.

This latter behaviour is only found at high NaPSS concentration while it is inverted at low NaPSS concentration.

These findings will certainly contribute to the understanding of the complex behaviour of the conductivity of polyelectrolytes solutions.