Volumetric Study of Aqueous Solutions of Polyethylene Glycol as a Function of the Polymer Molar Mass in the Temperature Range 283.15 to 313.15 K and 0.1 MPa

Density measurements were made for binary aqueous solutions of polyethylene glycol at seven temperatures: 283.15, 288.15, 293.15, 298.15, 303.15, 308.15, and 313.15 K. Polyethylene glycol samples with nominal average molar masses of 3000 ga <...mol(-1) (PEG 3000), 6000 ga <...mol(-1) (PEG 6000), 10000 ga <...mol(-1) (PEG 10000) and 20000 ga <...mol(-1) (PEG 20000) were used. These results were used to determine the specific volumes of solutions with solute-to-solvent mass ratios (mass of the solute/mass of the solvent) in the range 0.0546 to 1.4932 for PEG 3000, from 0.0553 to 1.4986 for PEG 6000, from 0.0552 to 1.2241 for PEG 10000, and from 0.0530 to 1.2264 for PEG 20000. The differences between the specific volume of a solution and the specific volume of the pure solvent, at a given temperature, were represented by a virial-type equation in terms of solute concentration. The first-order coefficient of the expansion is the partial specific volume of the solute at infinite dilution. The higher-order coefficients are related to the contribution of pairs, triplets, and higher-order solute aggregates, according to the Constant-Pressure Solution Theory. The functional dependence of the virial coefficients upon temperature is discussed in terms of solute-solute and solute-solvent interactions. The effect of the PEG molar mass on the partial specific volume of solute at infinite dilution, as well as the contributions of pairs of solute molecules to the solution volume, are also investigated. The apparent specific volume, apparent specific expansibility, apparent specific expansibility at infinite dilution and virial coefficients of the apparent specific expansibility are also presented.