Study of the cloud point behavior of high oleate ester-derived nonionic surfactant

Abstract

The cloud point behavior of high oleate ester-derived nonionic surfactant has been studied. The effect of various polyethoxylate chain lengths (polyethylene glycol with ethylene oxide monomer 7, 11 and 16 units) as the surfactant's hydrophilic head and the effect of sodium chloride and ionic surfactants on the cloud points of nonionic surfactants synthesized were investigated. When the chain length of polyethoxylate increased, the cloud point of the synthesized nonionic surfactant also increased. Sodium chloride was found to depress the cloud point values of the formed nonionic surfactants with a linear decrease in relation to the concentration of sodium chloride used. Ionic surfactants lifted the cloud points of synthesized nonionic surfactant but in the presence of sodium chloride, the cloud point of mixed ionic-nonionic solution was suppressed.