The wettability of polytetrafluoroethylene and polymethylmethacrylate with regard to interface behaviour of Triton X-165 and short chain alcohol mixtures: I. Critical surface tension of wetting and adhesion work

Wetting of polymers (PTFE, PMMA) by aqueous solutions of Triton X-165 mixtures with methanol, ethanol and propanol was studied in a wide range of alcohol and Triton X-165 concentration. The Triton X-165 concentration range corresponded to its unsaturated and saturated monolayer in the absence of alcohol. The wetting properties of Triton X-165 and alcohol mixtures were determined on the basis of advancing contact angles measurements by the sessile drop method. From the obtained contact angle values the relationships between cos θ, the adhesion tension and surface tension of the solutions, cos θ and the reciprocal of the surface tension were determined. On the basis of these relationships the correlation between the critical surface tension of PTFE and PMMA wetting and the surface tension of these polymers and work of adhesion of aqueous solution of TX-165 and alcohols mixtures to PTFE and PMMA surface was discussed. The critical surface tension of PTFE wetting was found to be close to its surface tension determined from the contact angles for polar liquids, but the critical surface tension of PMMA wetting considerably lower than its surface tension and even the Lifshitz–van der Waals components of this surface tension.