A theoretical analysis of the surface tension profiles of strongly interacting polymer-surfactant systems.

Measurements of the surface tension of static polymer-surfactant mixtures as the concentrations of polymer and surfactant are varied produce interesting and surprising profiles. It is well known how the critical points in the surface tension profile of a weakly interacting system relate to the forma...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bell, C, Breward, C, Howell, P, Penfold, J, Thomas, R
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2010
_version_ 1797063050544545792
author Bell, C
Breward, C
Howell, P
Penfold, J
Thomas, R
author_facet Bell, C
Breward, C
Howell, P
Penfold, J
Thomas, R
author_sort Bell, C
collection OXFORD
description Measurements of the surface tension of static polymer-surfactant mixtures as the concentrations of polymer and surfactant are varied produce interesting and surprising profiles. It is well known how the critical points in the surface tension profile of a weakly interacting system relate to the formation of complexes in the bulk. However the critical points in the profiles of strongly interacting systems are much less well understood, and an important open question is what conditions are required for the formation of a peak. Here, using a model for the surface tension developed in a previous article (Bell et al., Langmuir 23 (2007) 6042), we apply asymptotic techniques to show explicitly how the structure of the surface tension profile and the critical concentrations depend on the relative stability of the underlying polymer-surfactant complexes. We derive the interesting result that none of the critical concentrations is at the critical aggregation concentration (CAC). We also identify a criterion for the appearance of a peak in the surface tension profile, expressed in terms of the physical and chemical parameters of the system.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T20:54:19Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:38a7de3d-3221-43be-be89-ed9dfd0cd1b7
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T20:54:19Z
publishDate 2010
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:38a7de3d-3221-43be-be89-ed9dfd0cd1b72022-03-26T13:51:26ZA theoretical analysis of the surface tension profiles of strongly interacting polymer-surfactant systems.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:38a7de3d-3221-43be-be89-ed9dfd0cd1b7EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2010Bell, CBreward, CHowell, PPenfold, JThomas, RMeasurements of the surface tension of static polymer-surfactant mixtures as the concentrations of polymer and surfactant are varied produce interesting and surprising profiles. It is well known how the critical points in the surface tension profile of a weakly interacting system relate to the formation of complexes in the bulk. However the critical points in the profiles of strongly interacting systems are much less well understood, and an important open question is what conditions are required for the formation of a peak. Here, using a model for the surface tension developed in a previous article (Bell et al., Langmuir 23 (2007) 6042), we apply asymptotic techniques to show explicitly how the structure of the surface tension profile and the critical concentrations depend on the relative stability of the underlying polymer-surfactant complexes. We derive the interesting result that none of the critical concentrations is at the critical aggregation concentration (CAC). We also identify a criterion for the appearance of a peak in the surface tension profile, expressed in terms of the physical and chemical parameters of the system.
spellingShingle Bell, C
Breward, C
Howell, P
Penfold, J
Thomas, R
A theoretical analysis of the surface tension profiles of strongly interacting polymer-surfactant systems.
title A theoretical analysis of the surface tension profiles of strongly interacting polymer-surfactant systems.
title_full A theoretical analysis of the surface tension profiles of strongly interacting polymer-surfactant systems.
title_fullStr A theoretical analysis of the surface tension profiles of strongly interacting polymer-surfactant systems.
title_full_unstemmed A theoretical analysis of the surface tension profiles of strongly interacting polymer-surfactant systems.
title_short A theoretical analysis of the surface tension profiles of strongly interacting polymer-surfactant systems.
title_sort theoretical analysis of the surface tension profiles of strongly interacting polymer surfactant systems
work_keys_str_mv AT bellc atheoreticalanalysisofthesurfacetensionprofilesofstronglyinteractingpolymersurfactantsystems
AT brewardc atheoreticalanalysisofthesurfacetensionprofilesofstronglyinteractingpolymersurfactantsystems
AT howellp atheoreticalanalysisofthesurfacetensionprofilesofstronglyinteractingpolymersurfactantsystems
AT penfoldj atheoreticalanalysisofthesurfacetensionprofilesofstronglyinteractingpolymersurfactantsystems
AT thomasr atheoreticalanalysisofthesurfacetensionprofilesofstronglyinteractingpolymersurfactantsystems
AT bellc theoreticalanalysisofthesurfacetensionprofilesofstronglyinteractingpolymersurfactantsystems
AT brewardc theoreticalanalysisofthesurfacetensionprofilesofstronglyinteractingpolymersurfactantsystems
AT howellp theoreticalanalysisofthesurfacetensionprofilesofstronglyinteractingpolymersurfactantsystems
AT penfoldj theoreticalanalysisofthesurfacetensionprofilesofstronglyinteractingpolymersurfactantsystems
AT thomasr theoreticalanalysisofthesurfacetensionprofilesofstronglyinteractingpolymersurfactantsystems