SURFACE-PROPERTIES OF GRAFT-COPOLYMERS SURFACTANTS - BEHAVIOR AT THE WATER TOLUENE INTERFACE

Poly (propylene oxide-b-ethylene oxide) (PPOPEO) surfactant has been used as a surface tension modifier. In this study, the graft copolymer made of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) main chain and PPOPEO graft chain behavior at water/toluene interface was observed. Interfacial tension measurements were conducted by dissolving the graft copolymer in toluene at a concentration range 1 wt % - 0.0003. The results confirmed the surfactant behavior of graft copolymers, which presented a PMMA/PPOPEO ratio dependence. The critical micellar concentration (CMC) was observed. Above the CMC, the graft copolymers tend to form a monomolecular association that depends upon copolymer molecular weight.