Interaction between aqueous solutions of polymer and surfactant and its effect on physicochemical properties

Interaction between water-soluble polymers and anionic surfactants has been studied by surface tension and conductivity measurements. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) were used as surfactant while polyacrylamide (PAA), commercial grade partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA), and xanthan gum were used as water-soluble polymers for the present study. The behavior of surfactant-polymer interaction was found to be dependent on both surfactant and polymer concentrations. After the critical aggregation concentration (CAC), interaction between the water-soluble polymer and surfactants was started and above the polymer saturation point (PSP) polymer was saturated by surfactant with no further change of surface tension and conductivity of the solution. It has also been found that alkali (NaOH) and salts (Na2CO3, NaCl) have significant influence on the polymer-surfactant interaction.  2008 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.