LAUSR

Abstract Series of cardanol polyoxyethylene ether carboxylates were synthesized with biomass cardanol as material to study their physicochemical properties at the interface. The surface tensions of the cardanol nonionic-anionic surfactants were measured at 25 °C and the thermodynamic parameters of adsorption were also calculated. The surface activity and thermodynamic properties of the cardanol nonionic-anionic surfactants were correlated to their chemical structures. With increasing of the number of the ethoxylation unit in the hydrophilic group, a decrease in adsorption efficiency and an increase in surface tension at critical micelle concentration and thermodynamic free energy of adsoption were observed and were attributed to a decrease in adsorption of the cardanol nonionic-anionic surfactants at the interface. Series of the cardanol nonionic-anionic surfactants have good wettability and foaming property. The foaming capacity and the foaming stability of the solution of the cardanol nonionic-anionic surfactants increase by decreasing in the ethoxylation unit and by increasing the double bond of the hydrophobic group. The physicochemical properties of the cardanol nonionic-anionic surfactants at the interface are correlated to the chemical structures of the investigated surfactants, and there is the synergy effect between the nonionic hydrophilic group and the anionic hydrophilic group at the interface. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT