Viscous Flow Parameters of Mixed Nonionic Surfactants Microemulsions

Abstract

The systems investigated were water/sucrose laurate/ethoxylated mono-di-glyceride/oil + ethanol. The oils were R (+)-limonene, isopropylmyristate and caprylic-capric triglyceride. The dynamic viscosity of the systems where the mixing ratio (w/w) of ethanol/oil and that of ethoxylated mono-di-glyceride/sucrose laurate equal unity were measured. Dynamic viscosity was measured as function of temperature at different water volume fractions. The measured viscosities for the samples in all of the systems decrease as the temperature increases. The thermodynamic parameters of viscous flow that include enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy were estimated. In all of the systems studied, the enthalpy of viscous flow remains constant as function of temperature and varies as the water content in the microemulsions vary. The entropy and the Gibbs free energy vary with both the temperature and the composition of the microemulsions. Linear relationships were observed between the enthalpy and entropy of viscous flow for the systems based on the three oils. The enthalpy-entropy compensation temperatures were determined and found to be 265, 349, and 322 K for the microemulsion systems based on R (+)-limonene, isopropylmyristate and caprylic-capric triglyceride, respectively.

Keywords:

• Dynamic viscosity
• enthalpy of viscous flow
• enthalpy-entropy compensation temperature entropy of viscous flow
• Gibbs free energy of viscous flow
• surfactants mixing ratio

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a COMSTECH-ISESCO grant no. 3(60)/06-COMSTECH.