Correlation between wetting, adhesion and adsorption in the polymer–aqueous solutions of ternary surfactant mixtures–air systems

Abstract

The correlation between the wettability of polymers and adsorption of ternary mixtures including CTAB, TX-100 and TX-114 at the polymer–aqueous solution interface as well as the adhesion of aqueous solution of these mixtures to apolar polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), monopolar polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and nylon 6 was considered on the basis of the contact angle measurements and the literature data of the solutions surface tension. From these considerations it appeared that the efficiency and effectiveness of the adsorption at the PTFE–water interface are comparable to those at the water–air one, but for the PMMA–water and nylon 6–water interfaces they are lower than those for the water–air one for a given series of solutions. The efficiency and effectiveness are reflected in the composition of the mixed monolayer at the polymer–solution interface which even for the PTFE–solution interface is somewhat different from the water–air interface. The properties of the mixed monolayer at these interfaces influence the critical surface tension of polymer wetting which for PTFE is somewhat higher but for PMMA and nylon 6 considerably lower than their surface tension. From these considerations it also appeared that the work of adhesion of aqueous solutions of ternary mixtures of surfactants to the PTFE surface does not depend on the composition and concentration of solution contrary to PMMA and nylon 6. The adhesion work of these solutions to the PMMA and nylon 6 surface can be determined on the basis of van Oss et al. and Neumann et al. equations.