Properties of aqueous salt solutions of poly(ethylene oxide). Cloud points, θ temperatures

The determination of the properties of aqueous salt solutions of poly(ethylene oxide) has been extended to the cloud point, and temperature measurements have been made at several concentrations for various salts (flourides, iodides, acetates, formates, phosphates, bromides, thiosulfates and perchlorates). The resulting dependency of the critical temperatures (mostly between 290–350 K) on the molar concentration can be expressed as sequences showing the decreasing effect of anion species or cation species in salting out the polymer. The decreasing order of effectiveness of the anions in reducing the temperature is PO₄ > HPO₄ > S₂O₃ > H₂PO₄^– >F^– > HCOO^– > CH₃COO^– > Br^– > I^–. The order for cations is K⁺ Rb⁺ Na⁺ Cs⁺ > Sr⁺⁺ > Ba⁺⁺ Ca⁺⁺ > NH₄⁺ > Li⁺. The changes brought about in temperatures by the salts were found to be the results of the changes taking place in the hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions among polymer, solvent and additive salts and of the change of water structure by structure making or structure breaking ions, and of the influence of salts on the hydration sheath of the polymer.