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Effect of Extended Surfactant Structure on Interfacial Tension and Microemulsion Formation with Triglycerides

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Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society

Abstract

In this work, the impacts of extended surfactant structure (number of polypropylene oxide PO groups and branching nature of the hydrocarbon chain) on microemulsion formation and IFT values were examined with triglyceride oils. The results show that branching of the hydrocarbon tail of extended surfactants lowers optimum salinity and IFT values. The results also show that for the surfactants studied ultralow IFTs and microemulsion formation with vegetable oils can be achieved using extended surfactants with at least eight PO groups.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Geoff Russell and Victoria Stolarski, Sasol North America (Lake Charles, LA) for providing the extended surfactant samples. Funding for this work was provided by industrial sponsors of the Institute of Applied Surfactant Research at the University of Oklahoma: Akzo Nobel, Clorox, Conoco-Philips, Church and Dwight, Dow Chemical, Ecolab, Haliburton, Huntsman, Oxiteno, Procter & Gamble, Sasol North America, S.C. Johnson & Son, Shell Chemical; and by the Sun Oil Company Endowed Chair (David A. Sabatini).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil Engineering and Environmental Science Department, Carson Engineering Center, University of Oklahoma, 202 West Boyd, Room 334, Norman, OK, USA

    T. T. Phan, C. Attaphong & D. A. Sabatini

  2. Institute for Applied Surfactant Research, University of Oklahoma, 202 W. Boyd, Rm 334, Norman, OK, 73019-1024, USA

    T. T. Phan, C. Attaphong & D. A. Sabatini

Authors
  1. T. T. Phan
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  2. C. Attaphong
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  3. D. A. Sabatini
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Correspondence to D. A. Sabatini.

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Phan, T.T., Attaphong, C. & Sabatini, D.A. Effect of Extended Surfactant Structure on Interfacial Tension and Microemulsion Formation with Triglycerides. J Am Oil Chem Soc 88, 1223–1228 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-011-1784-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-011-1784-1

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