Poly Ethylene Oxide Chain Length Research Articles

Effect of nonionic surfactants on aqueous polyacrylic acid solutions

The interaction of polyacrylic acid (PAA) and nonionic surfactants (polyethylene oxide alkylethers) was studied with respect to pH and viscosity changes. As a result of hydrogen bonding between the acid units and ether oxygen atoms of the nonionic surfactants, the pH rises. The interaction is enhanced above the critical micelle concentration of the surfactants, and also becomes greater with increase in chain length of polyethylene oxide of the surfactants. At a certain degree of hydrogen bonding by the nonionic surfactants, PAA molecules are closely folded, and by a further surfactant binding they are again unfolded. The interaction is weakened by rising pH. The degrees of hydrogen bonding to PAA by the surfactants in various degrees of neutralization by NaOH were estimated.

Oxyethylation of carbochain and heterochain polyamides

AbstractCarbochain and heterochain polyamides are highly reactive compounds and may be quite easily converted to various polymer analogs, including compounds with graft side chains. We have studied the relations in the polyoxyethylation of heterochain and carbochain polyamides of various structure under different conditions. Under heterogeneous conditions the reaction takes place not only at the surface, but in the entire body of the film or fiber, although not to the same degree. On heterogeneous polyoxyethylation of heterochain polyamides graft polymers were obtained with up to 55% content of polyethylene oxide, with varying polyethylene oxide chain lengths and with different degrees of substitution of the groups. The formation of polyoxyethylated polyamides with high polyethylene oxide contents is facilitated by the use of a large excess of ethylene oxide and a lower degree of orientation of the films and fibers. In the polyoxyethylation of heterochain polyamides, as a result of crosslinking insoluble products may form which are greatly swelled in the various solvents. The branching and crosslinking of the macromolecules has been found to result from the reaction of the terminal carboxyl groups of the polyamides and the hydroxyl groups of the polyethylene oxide graft. On polyoxyethylation of polyamides not containing terminal carboxyl groups non‐cross‐linked, soluble, graft polymers are formed. In the heterogeneous polyoxyethylation of Polyacrylamide films, graft polymers with up to 65% polyethylene oxide content were obtained. In this case the reaction is also accompanied by the formation of crosslinks. In the reaction process one or both of the hydrogens of an amide group may be replaced by polyethylene oxide chains.