an entanglement of water-soluble,
high molecular weight polymer chains.
The effectiveness of a thickener is mainly
determined by the molecular weight of
the polymer. Formulations thickened nonassociatively
have pseudoplastic rheology
with highly elastic properties. This produces
good stabilization against settling
out and low sagging even with high build
coatings. Non-associatively thickened systems
often have limited flowability. The
high molecular weight of the thickeners
can sometimes lead to compatibility problems
such as depletion flocculation