Thermodynamics of some concentrated solutions of polyethylene oxide.

Abstract

Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) was used to study the complex solution thermodynamics of concentrated solution of an important water-soluble polymer, polyethylene oxide (PEO). Experimental data from 70°C to 150°C at essentially atmospheric pressure are presented when the solute in PEO solution is at both infinite-dilution and finite concentration. The infinite-dilution volatilites of 14 organic solutes and water in PEO were obtained at each temperature. Activity coefficients of benzene in PEO were also obtained at temperatures from 70°C to 150°C over the polymer concentration range 90 to 100 weight per cent. The corresponding-states theory of polymer solutions initiated by Prigogine and developed by Flory and Patterson was used to correlate our experimental results. Excellent agreement was obtained. Comparison of our infinite-dilution results with the earlier work of Cheng and Bonner (1974) shows some discrepancy. The discrepancy is ascribed to differences in column preparation used in the work of Cheng and Bonner (1974) and in this work. In this work, we account for the effect of PEO degradation of GLC results.