Compositions and Physicochemical Properties of Tween Type Surfactants-Based Microemulsions

Abstract

The compositions and physicochemical properties of the microemulsion systems consisting of Tween type surfactant (Tween 20, Tween 60, Tween 80)/butan-1-ol/dodecane/brine have been studied using ϵ-β fishlike phase diagram. From the ϵ-β fishlike phase diagram, solubility of the alcohol, composition of the interfacial layer, and solubilization ability of the microemulsion systems have been studied. The solubilization parameters of the microemulsion systems, SP* were in the order of magnitude Tween 60>Tween 80>Tween 20. The effects of different oils, alcohols, salinities and temperatures on the compositions and physicochemical properties have been investigated. The solubilization ability of the microemulsion systems increases with increasing salinities or decreasing temperatures. The effects of alcohols and alkanes display opposite patterns of change. By increasing the carbon chain length of the alkanol molecules, or decreasing the carbon chain length of the alkane molecules, the solubilization ability increases.