The present study investigated dynamic interfacial properties of similarly charged and oppositely charged polymer/surfactant mixtures at the oil-water interface. Partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM), sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) were used to prepare polymer/surfactant mixtures. The effects of the molecular weight and concentration of the polymer, surface charge and concentration of the surfactant, pH, and ionic strength on the interfacial behavior of polymer/surfactant mixtures at the interface have been investigated. HPAM-1 exhibited a higher interfacial activity than HPAM-2. Strong binding interactions were observed between anionic HPAM and cationic DTAB. HPAM had a strong tendency to form more hydrophobic and interfacial activity complexes with DTAB. These complexes could remarkably affect the interfacial properties of polymer/surfactant mixtures at the interface. The adsorption kinetics of polymer/surfactant mixtures were controlled not only by the diffusion occurring between the bulk phase and the interface but also by the energetic and steric barriers generated by the electrostatic interactions and already formed adsorption layers. In addition, the dilational viscoelasticity of polymer/surfactant mixtures was significantly affected by the pH and ionic strength. The HPAM/DTAB mixtures with the addition of salts have higher E values than those of salt-free systems and HPAM/SDBS mixtures. Figure 5. Dynamic interfacial tension of (a) HPAM-1/DTAB and (b) HPAM-2/DTAB mixtures plotted against time for different DTAB concentrations and a constant HPAM concentration of 500 mg/L (temperature 25°C and pH 7).Figure 7. Effect of aqueous phase pH on the time-dependent interfacial dilational modulus of (a) HPAM-1/SDBS, (b) HPAM-2/SDBS, (c) HPAM-1 DTAB, and (d) HPAM-2/DTAB mixed adsorption layers at the heptane-water interface. The concentrations of polymer and surfactant were 500 and 20 mg/ L, respectively (temperature 25°C, pH 7, and frequency 0.1 Hz).Figure 8. Effect of ionic strength on the time-dependent interfacial dilational modulus of (a) HPAM-1/SDBS, (b) HPAM-2/SDBS, (c) HPAM-1/DTAB, and (d) HPAM-2/DTAB mixed adsorption layers at the heptane-water interface. The concentrations of polymer and surfactant were 500 and 20 mg/L, respectively (temperature 25°C, pH 7, and frequency 0.1 Hz).