Morphology and surface properties of blends of Eudragit RS with different poly(ethylene glycol)s

The purpose of this study was to investigate the morphology and surface properties of blends of Eudragit RS, a hydrophobic polymer mainly used for film coating, and poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEG), amphiphilic polymers used as softeners for films. Blends of Eudragit RS and PEGs were prepared as films using the casting technique from methylene chloride. The morphology of those films was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy before and after treatment with water. Sessile drop technique was used to measure solid/liquid contact angles in order to calculate surface free-energy parameters and to investigate phase separation using the Cassie-Baxter approach. Films containing 20, 40, 50, and 60% PEG 3400 and PEG 6000 appeared morphologically unchanged after treatment with water; no phase separation was noticed. Films containing PEG 14,000 after treatment with water showed the presence of a solid emulsion in the range 40, 50, and 60% PEG; a multiple solid emulsion was shown for films containing 60% PEG 20,000. The presence of two-phase systems was shown using contact angle measurements and results were in agreement with microscopic analysis. Calculated surface free-energy parameters indicated that PEG 3400 and 20,000 in a critical concentration of 10% can modify surface parameters of Eudragit RS: for PEG 6000 and 14,000 this critical concentration was found to be between 10 and 20%. The surface polarity of PEG 3400, 6000, and 14,000 was found to be drastically reduced upon addition of 5% Eudragit RS; spontaneous surface layering of Eudragit RS could be reasonably hypothesized for PEG 3400. This study revealed that surface parameters of a polymer can be modified in the presence of a relatively small amount of a second material.