文摘
In our previous study, a series of novel hyperbranched fluoropolymers with polyglycerol as the core and poly(hexafluorobutyl acrylate) as hydrophobic arms were synthesized. As potential demulsifier for lubricants, the demulsification behavior, dynamic interfacial tension, and dilational rheological properties of the fluorinated polymers were investigated in this paper. The influence of polymer concentration and molecular structure on the interfacial properties was analyzed. We conclude that the diffusion rate of the polymers and the viscoelastic properties of the water–oil interface are critical factors in determining the demulsification performance. The longer hydrophobic chains of the fluorinated polymers leads to a faster and more effective interfacial adsorption, which is favorable to improve demulsification efficiency. In contrast, the longer hydrophobic chain also enhances the elastic property of interface due to its entangled structure, which is unfavorable to demulsification. As a result, the polymer with medium hydrophobic chain length show the best demulsification performance.