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Phase behavior of aqueous systems containing block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(propylene oxide)
Author(s) -
Mansur Claudia R. E.,
Oliveira Clara M. F.,
González Gaspar,
Lucas Elizabete F.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4628(19971128)66:9<1767::aid-app15>3.0.co;2-s
Subject(s) - copolymer , propylene oxide , ethylene oxide , cloud point , aqueous solution , polymer chemistry , polymer , micelle , monomer , materials science , oxide , solvent , lower critical solution temperature , phase (matter) , chemical engineering , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering , composite material , metallurgy
Phase behavior of aqueous systems containing block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) was evaluated by building up temperature‐concentration phase diagrams. We have studied bifunctional triblock copolymers (HO‐PEO‐PPO‐PEO‐OH) and monofunctional diblock copolymers (R‐PEO‐PPO‐OH and R‐PPO‐PEO‐OH, where R length is linear C 4 and C 12–14 ). The cloud points of the polymer solutions depended on EO/PO ratio, polarity, R length and position of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments along the molecule. Such factors influence on the solutions behavior was also analyzed in terms of critical micelle concentration (CMC), which was obtained from surface tension vs. concentration plots. Salts (NaCl and KCl) added into the polymer solutions change the solvent polarity decreasing the cloud points. On the other hand, the cloud points of the polymer solutions increased as a hydrotrope (sodium p ‐toluenesulfonate) was added. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 66: 1767–1772, 1997