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Translational diffusion and solution structure of microemulsions

Journal Article · · J. Phys. Chem.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/j100456a027· OSTI ID:6229875

For isotopic solution phases in surfactant systems which contain large amounts of water and hydrocarbon, the self-diffusion coefficients were determined for several components to obtain information on solution structure. Phases studied were one surfactant phase in a nonionic surfactant system and one microemulsion phase in an ionic surfactant + cosurfacant system. The systems chosen were tetraethyleneglycol dodecyl ether-exadecane-water and sodium octylbenzenesulfonate-pentanol decane-sodium chloride-water. The experimental techniques used were the open-ended capillary tube method using radioactive labeling and the NMR (H/sub 1/ and H/sub 2/ NMR) spin-echo pulsed-field gradient method. Over wide composition ranges in both systems both hydrocarbon and water (+ counterion) diffusion is rapid over macroscopic distances demonstrating that the solutions are both hydrocarbon and water continuous. The results do not show areas with oil-in-water and water-in-oil microemulsions with a sharp transition between the 2 types of aggregates.

OSTI ID:
6229875
Journal Information:
J. Phys. Chem.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Phys. Chem.; (United States) Vol. 84:19; ISSN JPCHA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English