Carbamoylethylation of Cassia tora gum

Carbamoylethylation of Cassia tora gum was carried out with acrylamide in presence of sodium hydroxide under different reaction conditions. Variables studied were concentration of sodium hydroxide, acrylamide, Cassia tora gum as well as reaction temperature and time. The nitrogen content, carboxyl content and total ether content were determined. The optimum condition for preparing carbamoylethyl Cassia tora gum (%N=3.24) comprised concentration of acrylamide (1.12 mol), sodium hydroxide (1.25 mol), Cassia tora gum (0.197 mol) at 30 °C for 1 h. Rheological properties of carbamoylethyl Cassia tora gum solutions showed non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behavior regardless of the %N. At a constant rate of shear the apparent viscosity of carbamoylethyl Cassia tora gum solutions increase with the increase in %N of the product.