(195c) A Unified Structure-Property Relationship for Alkyl-Polyoxide Surfactants

Polyoxide (e.g. polyethylene glycol) surfactants are the most well studied and understood nonionic surfactants and are used in a variety of applications as detergents, additives, etc. While there is a constant debate over the roles of surfactant structure on interfacial performance, no complete model has been presented. In this work, we will combine previously documented data with new measurements to develop a predictive model of surface properties of alkyl-polyoxide surfactants. From this model, one can predict the critical aggregation concentration, equilibrium surface tensions, surface packing density, and kinetic ratio simply from surfactant structure parameters.