Synthesis and evaluation of a class of sulfonic water soluble polymer with high content of nonionic surfmer units

A novel class of hydrophobic associated copolymers with high content of nonionic surfmer was synthesized and characterized by ¹H-NMR and GPC. These copolymers are the copolymerization product of 2-(acrylamido)-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) and different contents of nonionic surfmer AA-TX-100. The cac values of copolymer AMPS/AA-TX-100 series are increased with the decrease of surfmer units in the fluorescence test and concentration versus viscosity test, as the introduced surfmer units AA-TX-100 along polymer chain can lead to strong intermolecular hydrophobic association in water. Copolymer AMPS/AA-TX-100 series show better salt tolerance than poly-(2-(acrylamido)-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS). The shearing resistance test shows that copolymer solutions have shear-thicken ability at low shear rate, which may be due to the susceptible intramolecular association formed by copolymers with high content hydrophobic groups (more than 1 mol%). Copolymers can reduce the interfacial tension between n-heptane/water, and the IFT values are around at 10⁰ mN m⁻¹ level and have good ability to form emulsions with good stability.