Comparing the Surface Chemical Properties and the Effect of Salts on the Cloud Point of a Conventional Nonionic Surfactant, Octoxynol 9 (Triton X-100), and of Its Oligomer, Tyloxapol (Triton WR-1339).

The surface-chemical properties, critical micelle concentrations (CMC), and effect of salts on the cloud points (CP) of octoxynol 9 (Triton X-100) and tyloxapol (Triton WR-1339) were compared. The latter nonionic surfactant is essentially a heptamer of the former. Even though the molecular weight of tyloxapol is 7 times larger than that of octoxynol 9, its area per molecule adsorbed at the air-water interface is only twice as large. This suggests an unusual orientation for molecules of tyloxapol at the surface and is in keeping with a plateau that is less horizontal and has a somewhat higher surface tension than the plateaus of most nonionic surfactants. The CMC of octoxynol 9 was 4.4 times larger than that of tyloxapol. Unexpectedly, the CP of dilute aqueous tyloxapol solutions was 28 degreesC higher than that of octoxynol 9 solutions. The salting-out ions Na+, Cl- and SO2-4 lowered the CP of tyloxapol 29% more than that of octoxynol 9. However, because the blank tyloxapol solution started out with a higher CP value, its CPs in the presence of salts were higher than those of octoxynol 9. Pb2+ and Mg2+ cations salted both surfactants in, raising their CP, Pb2+ more extensively than Mg2+. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.