Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Precipitation and Micellar Properties of Novel Mixed Anionic Extended Surfactants and a Cationic Surfactant

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Surfactants and Detergents

Abstract

Surfactant-modified mineral surfaces can provide both a hydrophobic coating for adsorbing organic contaminants and, in the case of ionic surfactants, a charged exterior for adsorbing oppositely charged species. This research evaluates the precipitation phase boundaries and synergistic behavior of the mixtures of carboxylate-based anionic extended surfactants with a pyridinium-based cationic surfactant. One cationic surfactant (cetylpyridinium chloride) and four anionic extended surfactants were studied. The anionic surfactants studied were ethoxy carboxylate extended surfactants with average carbon chain lengths of either 16 and 17 or 16 and 18 with 4 mol of a propylene oxide group and a different number of moles of an ethylene oxide group (2 and 5 mol). Precipitation phase boundaries of mixed anionic extended surfactants and cationic surfactant were evaluated to ensure that the surface tension studies are in regions without precipitate. Surface tension measurements were conducted to evaluate the critical micelle concentration of individual and mixed surfactant systems. Precipitation phase boundaries of these novel mixed surfactant systems showed greatly reduced precipitation areas as compared to a conventional mixed surfactant system which is attributed to the presence of the ethylene oxide and propylene oxide groups and resulting steric hindrances to precipitation. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the CMC of mixed surfactant systems were much lower than that of individual surfactant systems. Synergism was evaluated in the four systems studied by the β parameter which found that all systems studied exhibited synergism. From these results, these novel mixed surfactant systems can greatly increase formulation space (reduce the precipitation region) while maintaining synergism, although slightly reduced from conventional anionic-cationic mixtures reported previously.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Stellner KL, Amante JC, Scamehorn JF, Harwell JH (1988) Precipitation phenomena in mixtures of anionic and cationic surfactants in aqueous solutions. J Colloid Interface Sci 123:186–200

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Doan T, Acosta E, Scamehorn JF, Sabatini DA (2003) Formulating middle-phase microemulsions using mixed anionic and cationic surfactant systems. J Surfact Deterg 6:215–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Mehreteab A (1999) Anionic-cationic surfactant mixtures. In: Broze G (ed) Handbook of detergents, part A: properties. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 133–155

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  4. Fuangswasdi A, Charoensaeng A, Sabatini DA, Scamehorn JF, Acosta EJ, Osathaphan K, Khaodhiar S (2006) Mixtures of anionic and cationic surfactants with single and twin head groups: adsorption and precipitation studies. J Surfact Deterg 9:21

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Upadhyaya A, Acosta EJ, Scamehorn JF, Sabatini DA (2006) Microemulsion phase behavior of anionic-cationic surfactant mixtures: effect of tail branching. J Surfact Deterg 9:169–179

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Upadhaya A, Acosta EJ, Scamehorn JF, Sabatini DA (2007) Adsorption of anionic-cationic mixtures on metal oxide surfaces. J Surfact Deterg 10:269–277

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Kume G, Gallotti M, Nunes G (2008) Review on anionic/cationic surfactant mixtures. J Surfact Deterg 11:1–11

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Vora S, George A, Desai H, Bahadur P (1999) Mixed micelles of some anionic–anionic, cationic–cationic, and ionic-nonionic surfactants in aqueous media. J Surfact Deterg 2:213–221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Rodriguez CH, Lowery LH, Scamehorn JF, Harwell JH (2001) Kinetics of precipitation of surfactants. I. Anionic surfactants with calcium and with cationic surfactants. J Surfact Deterg 4:1–14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Rodriguez CH, Scamehorn JH (2001) Kinetics of precipitation of surfactants. II. Anionic surfactant mixtures. J Surfact Deterg 4:15–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Scamehorn JF (1986) Behavior and applications of surfactant mixtures: future perspectives. In: Scamehorn JF (ed) Phenomena in mixed surfactant systems. ACS Symp. Ser. 311. ACS, Washington, pp 324–349

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  12. Fernández A, Scorzza C, Usubillaga A, Salager JL (2005) Synthesis of new extended surfactants containing a carboxylate or sulfate polar group. J Surfact Deterg 8:187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Fernández A, Scorzza C, Usubillaga A, Salager JL (2005) Synthesis of new extended surfactants containing a xylitol polar group. J Surfact Deterg 8:193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Witthayapanyanon A, Acosta EJ, Harwell JH, Sabatini DA (2006) Formulation of ultralow interfacial tension system using extended surfactants. J Surfact Deterg 9:131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Charoensaeng A, Sabatini DA, Khaodhiar S (2008) Styrene solubilization and adsolubilization on an alumina oxide surface using linker molecules and extended surfactants. J Surfact Deterg 11:61

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Charoensaeng A, Sabatini DA, Khaodhiar S (2009) Solubilization and adsolubilization of polar and nonpolar organic solutes by linker molecules and extended surfactants. J Surfact Deterg 12:209

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Arpornpong N, Charoensaeng A, Sabatini DA, Khaodhiar S (2010) Ethoxy carboxylate extended surfactant: micellar, adsorption and adsolubilization properties. J Surfact Deterg 13:305–311

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Mehreteab A, Loprest FJ (1988) Formation of pseudo-nonionic complexes of anionic and cationic surfactants. J Colloid Interface Sci 125:602–609

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Li XG, Zhao GX (1992) The effects of oxyethylene and methylene groups on the interaction between anionic and cationic surfactants. Colloids Surf 64:185–190

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Cui ZG, Canselier JP (2001) Interfacial and aggregation properties of some anionic/cationic surfactant binary system II. Mixed micelle formation and surface tension reduction effectiveness. Colloid Polym Sci 279:259–267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Rosen MJ (2004) Surfactants and interfacial phenomena, 3rd edn. Wiley, New Jersey

    Book  Google Scholar 

  22. George A, Vora S, Dogra A, Desai H, Bahadur P (1998) Mixed micelles of cationic surfactants and bile acid salts in aqueous media. J Surfact Deterg 1:507–514

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Rosen MJ (1998) Molecular interactions and the quantitative prediction of synergism in mixtures of surfactants. Progr Colloid Polym Sci 109:35–41

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Yin B, Sun D, Wei X, Wang Y, Zhao S, Zheng X (2001) Studies on the physicochemical properties of 3-alkoxyl-2-hydroxypropyl trimethylammonium chloride–sodium dodecyl sulfonate binary-surfactant aqueous systems. J Solut Chem 30:895–908

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Rubingh DN (1979) Mixed micelle solutions. In: Mittal KL (ed) Solution chemistry of surfactants. Plenum Press, New York, pp 337–354

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Financial support for this work was provided by the National Center of Excellence for Environmental and Hazardous Waste Management (NCE-EHWM), Chulalongkorn University. Additional funding was provided by the Ratchadaphiseksomphot Endowment Fund in honor of the 90th anniversary of Chulalongkorn University, Chulalongkorn University. Additionally, financial support for this research was received from the industrial sponsors of the Institute for Apply Surfactant Research (IASR), University of Oklahoma, including Akzo Nobel, Clorox, Conoco/Phillips, Church and Dwight, Ecolab, Haliburton, Dow Chemical, Huntsman, Oxiteno, Procter and Gamble, Sasol and Shell. Finally, we thank the Sun Oil Company Chair (D.A. Sabatini) at the University of Oklahoma for supporting funds for this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Postgraduate Programs in Environmental Management, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Donyaporn Panswad

  2. National Center of Excellence for Environmental and Hazardous Waste Management (NCE-EHWM), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Donyaporn Panswad

  3. School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

    David A. Sabatini

  4. Department of Environmental Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Sutha Khaodhiar

Authors
  1. Donyaporn Panswad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David A. Sabatini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sutha Khaodhiar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sutha Khaodhiar.

About this article

Cite this article

Panswad, D., Sabatini, D.A. & Khaodhiar, S. Precipitation and Micellar Properties of Novel Mixed Anionic Extended Surfactants and a Cationic Surfactant. J Surfact Deterg 14, 577–583 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-011-1282-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-011-1282-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation