Effects of magnetic field on the sol–gel transition of methylcellulose in water

The effect of a magnetic field (0.3 T) on the sol–gel transition of methylcellulose (MC) in water was studied by means of rheology. It has been found that (1) the magnetic field causes the sol–gel transition temperature of MC to shift to the lower temperature by about 3 °C, showing a salt-out like effect, (2) the magnetic field shows a weaker effect on the sol–gel transition when NaCl is present, and (3) the gel strength is not strongly affected by the magnetic field but a slight increase in the gel strength is observed. The possible mechanisms for these interesting phenomena are proposed and discussed.