Adsorption kinetics measurements of some nonionic surfactants

Dynamic surface tension values of aqueous surfactant solutions were measured by using the ring and plate method. The mean diffusion coefficients calculated on the basis of the purely diffusion controlled adsorption model vary between 2 · 10^–6 to 7 · 10^–6 cm²/s for all surfactants studied:n-alkanols,n-alkanoic acids, dimethyl and diethyln-alkyl phosphine oxides. That means the surfactants investigated adsorb with a purely diffusion controlled adsorption mechanism and no barriers excist to hinder sorption processes.Nomenclature c ₀ surfactant bulk concentration - D diffusion coefficient - surface concentration - ₀ equilibrium surface concentration - ¯ (t)/ ₀ reduced surface concentration - maximum surface concentration - K ₀/c₀ - surface tension - t time - Dt/K ² reduced time - a _L coefficient of the Langmuir isotherm