Phase Separation Behavior of Cocamidopropyl Betaine/Water/Polyethylene Glycol System

Abstract

Phase separation behavior of cocamidopropyl betaine/water/polyethylene glycol (PEG) system was studied. The effects of concentration and molecular weight of PEG on the phase separation behavior were investigated. Clouding occurred when the concentration of PEG was large enough in the betaine aqueous solution, and the concentration of PEG at cloud point decreased with the increase of PEG molecular weight for a constant betaine concentration. The bottom phase was the PEG-rich phase, and the upper phase was the betaine-rich phase. The volumetric ratio of PEG-rich phase to betaine-rich phase, at the same difference between the PEG concentration and the one at the cloud point, Δ C cp (0.1 g·ml −1), decreased as the PEG molecular weight increased and approached 1 for higher PEG molecular weight (about 20000), which was similar to the typical aqueous two-phase system. This volumetric ratio depended on the initial PEG concentration, but independent of PEG molecular weight. The concentration ratio of betaine to PEG in both phases depended on the Δ C cp, independent of PEG molecular weight.