Sponge phase behaviour in concentrated surfactant-alcohol-brine system

Abstract

The sponge phase monodomain extending from the brine corner to the alcohol corner of an ionic surfactant-alcohol-brine phase diagram is first detailed and then investigated by electrolytic conductivity and refractive index measurements. Upon progressive dimunition of the brine fraction of the sponge phase, the ionic conductivity suffers from two gumps corresponding to two respective critical concentrations, while the variation of the refractive index remains linear but exhibits two slope changes. According to the phase diagram observations we propose one scenario, in agreement with theoretical predictions, to explain these results in terms of continuous structural transformations of the amphiphilic membrane from the swollen sponge phase to the inverse micellar phase.