Surface activity of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Langmuir; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/la00020a019· OSTI ID:7178178

Alexandridis, P; Athanassiou, V; Fukuda, Shinya; Hatton, T A ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States)

The surface tension of aqueous solutions of seven poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(propylene oxide)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) Pluronic copolymers, covering a wide range of molecular weights (3400-14600) and PPO/PEO ratios (0.19-1.79), was determined over the 10[sup [minus]5]-10% w/v concentration range, at two temperatures (25 and 35[degree]C). Two breaks (changes in slope) were observed in the surface tension vs log concentration curve for most of the copolymers. The low-concentration break, occurring at bulk copolymer concentrations of approximately 10[sup [minus]3]%, is believed to originate from rearrangement of the copolymer molecules on the surface at complete coverage of the air/water interface. The breaks at the high-concentration part of the surface tension curve occurred at concentrations that correspond to the critical micellization concentration values as determined by a dye solubilization technique. The surface area per copolymer molecule, A, increased as a function of the number of EO segments, N[sub EO], obeying a scaling law (A [approx] N[sub EO][sup 1/2]) similar to that of lower molecular weight C[sub i]E[sub j] nonionic surfactants. 56 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.

• DOE Contract Number: FG02-92ER14262
• OSTI ID: 7178178
• Journal Information: Langmuir; (United States), Journal Name: Langmuir; (United States) Vol. 10:8; ISSN LANGD5; ISSN 0743-7463
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360606 -- Other Materials-- Physical Properties-- (1992-)
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201* -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
ADDITIVES
ALCOHOLS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
COMPILED DATA
COPOLYMERS
DATA
DETERGENTS
DISPERSIONS
EMULSIFIERS
GLYCOLS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MICELLAR SYSTEMS
MIXTURES
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PLURONICS
POLYETHYLENE GLYCOLS
POLYMERS
SOLUTIONS
SURFACE AREA
SURFACE PROPERTIES
SURFACE TENSION
SURFACTANTS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
WETTING AGENTS