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Effect of Alkyl Sulfate on the Phase Behavior of Microemulsions Stabilized with Monoacylglycerols

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Surfactants and Detergents

Abstract

In this study the effect of an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate SDS) and oils (hydrocarbons: C12–C16) on the formation and phase behavior of the systems of oil/monoacylglycerols (MAG):SDS/propylene glycol/water has been investigated. The effects of the surfactant mixture on the phase behavior and the concentration of water or oil in the systems were studied at three temperatures (50, 55, 60 °C). Electrical conductivity measurement, FT-IR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry methods were applied to determine the structure and type of the microemulsions formed. The dimension of microemulsion droplets was characterized by dynamic light scattering. It has been stated that the concentration of SDS has a strong influence on the shape and extent of the microemulsion areas. Addition of an ionic surfactant to the mixture with MAG promotes an increase in the area of microemulsion formation in the phase diagrams, and these areas of the isotropic region change with the temperature. It was shown that the presence in the systems of a surfactant more hydrophilic than MAG caused an increase in water content in the microemulsions. It was found that, depending on temperature and concentration of the surfactant mixture, it was possible to obtain a W/O type microemulsion with a dispersed particles size distribution ranging from 20 to 50 nm and containing about 17–38% water in the system. Among different alkanes (from C12 to C16), hexadecane embedded microemulsions showed a maximum water solubilization capacity.

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Abbreviations

FTIR:

Fourier transform infrared

MAG:

Monoacylglycerols

ME:

Microemulsions

MLS:

Multiple light scattering

PG:

Propylene glycol (1,2-propanediol)

SDS:

Sodium dodecyl sulfate

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Acknowledgments

Support for this work provided by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Grant N N209 335237) is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank Dr. Roman Pawłowicz (from Department of Food Chemistry, Technology and Biotechnology, Gdansk University of Technology) for his support in thermal analysis and Dr. Maciej Śmiechowski and Professor Janusz Stangret (from Department of Physical Chemistry, Chemical Faculty, Gdansk University of Technology) for their help in the FTIR study.

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  1. Department of Fats and Detergents Technology, Chemical Faculty, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233, Gdansk, Poland

    Halina Szeląg & Patrycja Szumała

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  1. Halina Szeląg
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  2. Patrycja Szumała
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Correspondence to Halina Szeląg.

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Szeląg, H., Szumała, P. Effect of Alkyl Sulfate on the Phase Behavior of Microemulsions Stabilized with Monoacylglycerols. J Surfact Deterg 14, 245–255 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-010-1220-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-010-1220-9

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