SURFACE AND INTERFACIAL ACTIVITIES OF HYDROPHOBICALLY-MODIFIED POLY(VINYL ALCOHOL) (PVA)

In the present study, the air-liquid surface and liquid-liquid interfa cial activities of hydrophobically modified poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solutions were investigated to determine the effects of NaCl concentra tion, polymer concentration, time, polymer molecular weight, polymer m odification and the average length of the hydrophobic side groups. The hydrophobically modified PVA exhibit high air-liquid surface and liqu id-liquid interfacial activities which increase with increasing NaCl c oncentration, polymer concentration, molecular weight and average leng th of the hydrophobic side groups. The observed strong dependence of s urface and interfacial activities on salt concentration for this non-p olyelectrolyte polymer is explained in terms of the reduced polymer so lubility or salting out with increasing salinity.