S. Kawaguchi et al., NONIONIC SURFACTANT EFFECTS ON POLYMER DIFFUSION IN POLY(BUTYL METHACRYLATE) LATEX FILMS, Macromolecular rapid communications, 16(11), 1995, pp. 861-868
The influence of non-ionic surfactant molecules on polymer interdiffus
ion in poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) latex films was investigated us
ing the non-radiative energy transfer technique. It was found that non
ylphenoxypoly(ethylene oxide) surfactants such as NP-20 and NP-100 act
as plasticizers to enhance the polymer diffusion rate. The increase i
n diffusion rate with the increase in surfactant concentration is in c
omplete accord with the Fujita-Doolittle free volume model. This sugge
sts that by the time the latex dispersion is dry, the surfactant has d
iffused uniformly into the latex polymer.