MICELLIZATION AND GELATION OF TRIBLOCK COPOLY(OXYETHYLENE OXYPROPYLENE OXYETHYLENE), F127

A sample of triblock copoly(oxyethylene/oxypropylene/oxyethylene) Synperonic F127 was purified. The micellisation and gelation properties of aqueous solutions of purified and unpurified copolymers were investigated by surface tension measurement, static and dynamic light scattering, differential scanning calorimetry and NMR spectroscopy. Generally, the results obtained for the two samples were similar: an exception was the surface tension. Endothermic standard enthalpies of micellisation were obtained over a wide concentration range, with corresponding endothermic standard enthalpies of gelation in the high concentration range. Considered on an equivalent basis, i.e. kJ mol-1(chains), gelation was found to be an almost athermal process compared to micellisation. Based on the presented evidence, particularly that from DSC, and considering other recent studies, it was concluded that the thermal gelation of F127 (i.e. gelation on raising the temperature) resulted essentially from the packing of spherical micelles. A small thermal event at the gelation point was ascribed to a disorder-order discontinuity.