The viscosity of sodium polyacrylate (NaPAA) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (NaPSS)solutions was experimentally measured with various added salt (NaCl) concentrations at differenttemperatures. With a low salt concentration, the reduced specific viscosity (
rs) exhibits amaximum and then a minimum with decreasing polyelectrolyte concentration (
Cp) and divergesas
Cp approaches zero. A new statistical mechanics model was developed based on thecombination of Eyring's absolute-rate theory and
Jiang's polyelectrolyte model. This model cansatisfactorily correlate the viscosity of NaPAA and NaPSS solutions over the entire range ofadded NaCl concentration and temperature in this study and correctly predict the anomalousconcentration-dependent behavior of
rs.