Wettability, adhesion, adsorption and interface tension in the polymer/surfactant aqueous solution system. I. Critical surface tension of polymer wetting and its surface tension

The contact angle of aqueous solutions of Triton X-100, Triton X-114, Triton X-165, sodium dodecylsulfate, sodium hexadecylsulfonate, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, cetylpyridinium bromide, sodium N-lauryl sarcosinate, dodecyldimethyethylammonium bromide, tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide and benzyldimethyldodecylammonium bromide on polytetrafluoroethylene, polymethyl methacrylate and nylon 6 was studied. The contact angle values were used in the Young equation for the polymer–solution interface tension calculation and for the determination of the critical surface tension of polymer wetting. The critical surface tension of polymer wetting was obtained on the basis of the relationship between the cosine of contact angle and/or the adhesion tension as a function of the surface tension of aqueous solution of studied surfactants and then was discussed in relation to the Lifshitz–van der Waals components and electron-acceptor and electron-donor parameters of polytetrafluoroethylene, polymethyl methacrylate and nylon 6 surface tension. The role of the parameter of interfacial interactions in the relationship between the critical surface tension of polymer wetting and the surface tension was also considered. This parameter was calculated by using the polymer–solution interface tension as well as the polymer and aqueous solutions of surfactant surface tension.