Liquid‐Liquid Extraction of Monoalkylethers of Oxyethyelene‐Oxybutylene Block Copolymers

Abstract

Monoalkylethers of oxyethyelene‐oxybutylene block copolymers (RBE) are a potentially new group of non‐ionic surfactants. The aim of this paper was the investigation of the isolation of RBE of different chemical structures from the water matrix by liquid‐liquid extraction. Tensammetric techniques were used for the determination of extracted substances. The extraction coefficients of tested compounds grow in the sequence of solvents: hexane < ethyl acetate < dichlomethane < chloroform, as well as with the increase in the length of the alkyl chain. The presence of the oxyethylene chain in the structure of the molecule causes a significant decrease in the extraction coefficient.

Keywords:

• Oxyethyelene‐oxybutylene block copolymers
• poly(ethylene glycols)
• liquid‐liquid extraction
• sequential extraction

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by Poznan University of Technology (Grant No BW‐31‐133/2007).