A volumetric study of aqueous solutions of poly(ethylene glycol)s at 298.15 K

The densities of aqueous solutions of some poly(ethylene glycol)s with nominal molecular weights ranging from 300 to 35 000 g mol−1 have been determined up to a weight molality of 0.7960 at 298.15 K. From these data, the apparent specific volume of the solute and the partial specific volume of the solute and solvent were calculated. The specific excess volume of the solutions and the coefficients of the virial expansion of the excess property were evaluated and interpreted in terms of solute–solute and solute–solvent interactions. From the partial specific volume of the solute at infinite dilution and the value of the average degree of polymerization, the partial molar volume of the repeating unit was evaluated, as well as the excluded volume between the solvent molecules and repeating unit, and the excess excluded volume representing the end-group effects.