The surface tension of aqueous polyvinylamine and copolymers with N-vinylformamide

Abstract The surface tensions of aqueous poly(N-vinylformamide) (PNVF), polyvinylamine (PVAM), and PNVF–PVAM copolymers were measured as functions of pH. The nonionic PNVF gave a pH-independent surface tension of 68 mN/m. The surface tension of PVAM was pH dependent; at pH 10 it was 56 mN/m, whereas it was 71.5 mN/m at pH 3.5. The transition from higher to lower surface tension values occurred most dramatically between pH 8 and 9, reflecting the dissociation behavior of the amine groups. The copolymers showed intermediate behavior.