Colloid and surface chemistry of polymer latices. Part 1.—Adsorption and wetting behaviour of n-alkanols

Abstract

A polystyrene latex, containing particles with a carboxylated surface, has been used as a model system for measurement of the adsorption of the n-alkanols, methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol. Complementary measurements were made of the wetting properties of polystyrene films, prepared from the latex, by n-alkanol-water mixtures. The critical surface tension of wetting of polystyrene was found to be 27 ± 1 dyn cm^–1. The adsorption isotherm of n-butanol on polystyrene differed significantly from that obtained on a typical hydrophobic substrate, Graphon, which suggested that interaction occurred between the hydroxyl group on the butanol molecule and hydrophilic sites on the surface of the latex particle. At concentrations close to the solubility limit of butanol multilayer adsorption was observed.