Ultrasonic investigations of water mixtures with polyethylene glycols 200, 400 and ethylene glycol

Ultrasonic velocities and densities were measured in the mixtures of water with ethylene glycol (EG) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) 200, 400 in the temperature range from 291.15 to 303.15 K. Adiabatic compressibilities were calculated from Laplace's equation based on the experimental results obtained. Variations of these values with concentration and temperature were studied. Structural interactions and the formation of a compact pseudostable structure at very low concentrations of ethylene glycol and polyethylene glycols were observed. The plots of the adiabatic compressibility versus the mole fraction of PEG and EG display two characteristic points at low concentrations: the intersection of the isotherms and their minimum. Such relations between adiabatic compressibility, concentration and temperature are usually attributed to the formation of pseudo-stable molecular structures. To formulate a model of local structures present in the investigated molecular systems, it is indispensable to get an insight into hydration of molecules and the formation of hydrogen bonds. Therefore, the attention was focused particularly on these problems. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.