Application of a theory of polymer solutions to the cloud points of nonionic detergents

Abstract

The influence of the concentration of nonionic detergents on the cloud point of their aqueous solutions is discussed using Huggins' theory of polymer solutions. The treatment is exemplified by applying the theory to the phase diagrams obtained with detergents of varying polyethyleneoxide chain length. Under some simplifying assumptions, the activity coefficients of the water and the interaction parameters are calculated. From the same equations a relationship between cloud point and detergent concentration is obtained. Values for the enthalpic and entropic terms included in the interaction parameters are calculated for one detergent-water system for which vapor pressure data are available.