Phase Behavior of Microemulsions Formulated with Sodium Alkyl Polypropylene Oxide Sulfate and a Cationic Hydrotrope

Abstract

The partial ternary phase diagram of anionic extended surfactant of alkyl polypropylene oxide sulfate C₁₂(PO)₄SO₄ alone and combined with the cationic hydrotrope, tetrabutyl ammonium bromide with water and decane were determined under ambient conditions. Middle phase microemulsion was formulated using salinity scans in the dilute region of surfactant/brine/decane. Visual inspection as well as cross polarizer and optical microscopy were used to detect anisotropy. Spinning drop tensiometer was used to measure interfacial tension (IFT). The first ternary phase diagram using the extended surfactant alone showed three one phase regions, the anisotropic lamellar liquid crystalline phase, L _α and the isotropic L₁ micellar liquid and L₃ sponge phase. In the second ternary phase diagram using the extended surfactant combined with tetra butyl ammonium bromide, an isotropic micellar region, L ₁, appeared in the diluted area of the phase diagram. Meanwhile the L _α phase disappeared completely and the three phase region has a bluish transparent middle phase. Interfacial tension measurements between middle phase and brine, and between decane and brine yielded ultra low values. Calculated IFT values using the characteristic length obtained using De Gennes approximation gave almost half the measured values. The interfacial rigidity was also calculated and compared to values obtained from the literature.

Keywords:

• Extended surfactant
• middle phase microemulsion
• salinity scan

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Paul Filler, Sasol North America, Inc. and Paola Pastorelli, Sasol Italy, for kindly providing us with the extended surfactant samples. This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council.