Surface tension of polymers with long unbranched side chains

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Abstract
The surface tension of polymers having long unbranched side chains was measured by a contact‐angle technique. It ranges between 20–29 dynes/cm and is almost entirely due to dispersion forces. At the lower end of this range the side chains are attached to every other carbon atom of the main chain and the structure is characterized by extended alkyl side chains at right angles to the main chain with methyl groups forming the interface. As the spacing frequency of the side chains increases and the main chain becomes the site of other bulky groups, this structure becomes less ordered and the surface tension increases to the high twenties. The same effect, to a lesser extent, is observed when the length of the side chains is gradually diminished to 12 carbon atoms from 21. A sudden increase of the polar force contribution of the surface tension at 10–12 carbon atoms indicates collapse of the ordered side‐chain structure.

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