A thermodynamic analysis on the coincidence of extrema conditions in the sorption equilibrium for ternary polymer systems

Flory-Huggins theory of polymer solutions has been used to express the condition of extrema values in the total sorption, as well as the inversion point in the preferential adsorption parameters for termary polymer systems. Two approaches have been followed, the first considers the binary and ternary interaction parameters independent of polymer concentration and solvent composition. In the second one, this dependence has been introduced. Our attention is focused on the volume fraction of solvent mixture dependence of the above parameters, in order to confirm or not the coincidence between the extrema values and the inversion point. Several cosolvent and cononsolvent ternary polymer systems, have been used to test the validity of the equations obtained. Also, it has been verified, from an experimental point of view, that in cosolvent ternary polymer systems there is coincidence in both compositions while in cononsolvent ternary polymer systems, such coincidence does not appear.     

Fluid phase equilibria of binary and ternary mixtures of supercritical carbon dioxide with tetradecanoic acid and docosane up to 43 MPa and 393 K: cosolvency effect and miscibility windows

Isothermal pressure (p)-mass fraction (w) phase diagrams were measured for CO₂ + tetradecanoic acid at six temperatures from 328.2 K to 373.2 K and for CO₂ + docosane at four temperatures from 343.2 K to 393.2 K as well as isobaric temperature (T)-mass fraction (w) phase diagrams for both systems at 34.5 MPa. In addition the isothermal and isobaric Gibbs phase prisms at 373.2 K and 34.5 MPa respectively were determined for the ternary system CO₂ + tetradecanoic acid + docosane, and and isobaric miscibility window was found between 333 K and 385 K at 34.5 MPa.     

Cosolvency effects on copolymer solutions at high pressure

Cloud-point data to 180°C and 2800 bar are presented for polyethylene, poly(methyl acrylate), and two poly(ethylene-co-methyl acrylate) copolymers (10 and 31 mol % methyl acrylate) in propane and chlorodifluoromethane with two cosolvents, acetone and ethanol. The addition of small amounts of either cosolvent to the copolymer–solvent mixtures shifts the cloud-point curve to lower pressures and temperatures, as both cosolvents provide favorable polar interactions with the acrylate group in the backbone of the copolymer. Ethanol has a larger effect than acetone since ethanol hydrogen bonds to the acrylate group. However, if the concentration of ethanol is increased above ca. 10 wt %, it self-associates and reverts to antisolvent behavior, forcing the copolymer out of solution. For nonpolar polyethylene–propane mixtures, the polar cosolvents behave as traditional an-tisolvents. In poly(methyl acrylate)–chlorodifluoromethane mixtures, both polar cosolvents enlarge the single-phase region. The cloud-point curves for the (co)polymer–propane–acetone mixtures are modeled reasonably well using the Sanchez–Lacombe equation of state with two adjustable mixture parameters. No attempt is made to model the mixtures that exhibit hydrogen bonding. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Equilibrium solubility,preferential solvation and apparent specific volume of sucrose in some {cosolvent (1) + water (2)} mixtures at 298.2 K

Sucrose is the most widely used sweetener in food and pharmaceuticals. Solubility data of this excipient in aqueous cosolvent mixtures is not abundant. Thus, the main objective of this research was to determine and correlate the equilibrium solubility of sucrose in some {cosolvent (1) + water (2)} mixtures at 298.2 K. Cosolvents were ethanol, propylene glycol and glycerol. Shaken flask method was used to determine isothermal solubility. Concentration measurements were performed by means of density determinations. Solubility of sucrose decreases non-linearly with the addition of cosolvent to water. By means of the inverse Kirkwood–Buff method it is shown that sucrose is preferentially solvated by cosolvent in water-rich mixtures but preferentially solvated by water in cosolvent-rich mixtures. Jouyban–Acree model correlates solubility values with the mixtures composition for all cosolvent systems. Moreover, apparent specific volume of sucrose was also calculated from density and compositions.     

Phase behavior of a water/2‐propanol/poly(methyl methacrylate) cosolvent system

A phase diagram of poly(methyl methacrylate) in mixtures of water and 2‐propanol, individually nonsolvents for the polymer, was studied at 25 °C. For this system, there were two liquid–liquid demixing regions separated by a miscible region. This cosolvent phenomenon was thought to be a joint effect of the nonsolvents. The phase behavior was modeled according to modified Flory–Huggins chemical‐potential equations, which accounted for the possible contribution from a ternary interaction in terms of a lumped parameter, χ₁₂₃. The calculated phase‐equilibrium curves (binodals) agreed well with the measured results. By contrast, if only binary interaction parameters were considered, computations yielded binodals whose compositions departed significantly from the measured data. Using the wet phase inversion method with casting dopes selected on the basis of the phase diagram, we prepared membranes with microporous structures in various coagulation baths. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 747–754, 2000