2. Physical-chemical processes

The term coacervation describes the phenomenon of desolvation of macromolecules, leading to phase separation within a solution. Any factor tending to reduce the solvation of a polymer by affecting the properties of the solvent or the charge of the macromolecule will induce this phenomenon. At the end of coacervation, two phases are present in the medium:

• one rich in polymer and poor in solvent, coacervat ;

• a polymer-poor, solvent-rich supernatant.