Water sorption, binding and solubility of polyols

Abstract

The sorption of water by polyhydroxyalkanes and polyalkylene glycols has been studied at 35 °C and 75% relative humidity. The solubilities in water of these compounds were taken from the literature or measured by us, and found to be predictable from Yalkowski's expression and to correlate with the water sorption ability, with some notable exceptions, rationalized with reference to the configurations of the compounds in question. In very concentrated aqueous solutions all the water is bound to the polyols; in dilute solutions two or four molecules of water are bound per oxygen atom of the polyhydroxyalkanes and polyethylene glycols, respectively.