Droplet Exchange Kinetics in Microemulsions

Abstract

The dynamic behavior of water-in-oil microemulsions (w/o), stabilized by sodium bis (2-ethyl-hexyl) sulphosuccinate (AOT), has been studied by means of stop flow method using spectroscopic detection. Kinetic model based on the ferroferric reaction was developed. Interdroplet exchange rate constant, k _ex , associated with the exchange of materials upon collisions between droplets in w/o microemulsions system has been determined. k _ex increases with increase in the chain length of linear alkanes and decreases with the water to surfactant molar concentration ratio (w ₀ = [H ₂ O]/[AOT]) and decreases in presence of viscosity modifier.

Keywords:

• Chainlength
• interdroplet exchange
• viscosity modifier
• w/o microemulsions

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, India.