A review of block polymer surfactants

Abstract

Abstract and Summary: A brief historical review of four series of commercially available block polymer surface‐active agents—the PLURONIC R, TETRONIC R, PLURADOT R, and PLURONIC R R polyols—is presented. A comparison is made of the physical properties within each series, in the form of trend lines. These parameters encompass solubility, rate of solubility, wetting, foaming, defoaming, emulsification, thickening, cleansing, and toxicity. The physical property relationships which depend upon variation in the hydrophobe molecular weight and variation in the hydrophile hydrophobe balance are shown to be similar in each series of surfactants. Differences among the four series of polymers, where they exist, are seen to vary from little to significant. The many controversial articles on the micellar nature of the block polymers and their critical micelle concentrations are examined. Considerations of the important physical properties which lead to practical applications are discussed. Some of the more important newly developed potential uses of these polymeric surfactants are then described in various application areas, including the cosmetic, medical, paper, pharmaceutical, and textile industries.