Microemulsifying polar oils

• Published in: Journal of physical chemistry (1952) Vol. 93; no. 12; pp. 4855 - 4861
• Main Authors: Wormuth, Klaus R, Kaler, Eric W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 01-06-1989
• Subjects: 400201 - Chemical & Physicochemical Properties; Aerosols; BINARY MIXTURES; Chemistry; Colloidal gels. Colloidal sols; Colloidal state and disperse state; COLLOIDS; DATA; DATA ANALYSIS; DISPERSIONS; EMULSIONS; Emulsions. Microemulsions. Foams; Exact sciences and technology; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; General and physical chemistry; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; MEASURING INSTRUMENTS; MEASURING METHODS; MICROEMULSIONS; MIXTURES; NUMERICAL DATA; OILS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PHASE STUDIES; Powders; WATER; Ether; Hydrocarbon; Aliphatic compound; Non ionic surfactant; Saturated compound; Small angle X ray scattering; Experimental study; Oligomer; Concentration effect; Aqueous solution; Microstructure; Microemulsion; Physical method
• ISSN: 0022-3654; 1541-5740
• DOI: 10.1021/j100349a035

The phase behavior and microstructure of C{sub 12}E{sub 6}/ether oil/water mixtures have been examined systematically as a function of increasing oil polarity. As the ratio of ether linkages to methylene groups of the ether oils is increased, the oils become more water soluble and more polar (less hydrophobic). When ethylene glycol dibutyl ether is replaced with the more polar ethylene glycol diethyl ether in C{sub 12}E{sub 6}/ether oil/water mixtures, the three-phase region shrinks and disappears: the system bypasses a tricritical point. Simultaneously, the liquid crystalline region retreats to higher surfactant concentration, and light and x-ray scattering measurements indicate that the microstructure decreases dramatically in size. According to small-angle x-ray scattering results, C{sub 12}E{sub 6}/ethylene glycol diethyl ether/water mixtures retain an interface between oil-like and water like domains. However, since the ether is highly soluble in the water and interface domains, the microstructure is diffuse.