• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 2007

The equilibrium solubilization capacity of pure hydrocarbon oils by 2.5 wt% $C_{12}E_8$ nonionic surfactant solution was measured at $30^{\circ}C$ by gas chromatography (GC) analysis. Experimental results indicated that the molar solubilization ratio (MSR) for pure alkanes was found to decrease almost linearly with the alkane carbon number (ACN) of the hydrocarbon oil. For the binary mixture systems of the hydrocarbon oils both selective and nonselective solubilization behaviors were observed depending on the difference in carbon number of the two hydrocarbon oils. Equilibrium solubilization tests for the two n-octane/n-nonane and n-nonane/n-decane mixture systems in $C_{12}E_8$ surfactant solutions suggest slightly selective solubilization in favor of n-octane, but the small difference in solubilization rates between two hydrocarbon oils does not allow ruling out non-selective solubilization for these particular systems. This is certainly not the case for the n-octane/n-decane mixture, for which selective solubilization was conclusively demonstrated by GC analysis data.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.46-53
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• 2009

Phase equilibrium and dynamic behavior studies were performed in systems containing $C_{12}E_5$ nonionic surfactant solution and nonpolar hydrocarbon oil. The phase behavior result showed an oil-in-water(O/W) microemulsion(${\mu}E$) in equilibrium with excess oil phase at low temperatures and a water-in-oil(W/O) ${\mu}E$ in equilibrium with excess water phase at high temperatures. For intermediate temperatures a 3 phase region containing excess water, excess oil, and a middle-phase microemulsion was observed and the transition temperature was found to increase with an increase in the chain length of a hydrocarbon oil. Dynamic behavior at low temperatures showed that an oil drop size decreased linearly with time due to solubilization into micelles and the solubilization rate decreased with an increase in the chain length of a hydrocarbon oil. On the other hand, both spontaneous emulsification of water into oil phase and expansion of oil drop with time were observed because of diffusion of surfactant and water into oil phase. Under conditions of a 3 phase region including a middle-phase ${\mu}E$, both rapid solubilization and emulsification of oil into aqueous surfactant solution were found mainly due to the existence of ultra-low interfacial tension. Interfacial tensions were measured as a function of time for n-decane oil drops brought into contact with 1 wt% surfactant solution at $25^{\circ}C$. Both equilibrium interfacial tension and equilibration time were found to increase with an increase in the chain length of a hydrocarbon oil.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.778-784
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• 2005

It has been found that the addition of cosurfactant is necessary in order to expand three phase region containing middle phase microemulsion in ternary systems containing alkyl ethoxylate (AEO) nonionic surfactant, commercial lubricant and water. Phase behavior in the surfactant systems with addition of cosurfactant over a temperature range of 30 to $60^{\circ}C$ showed different trends depending on surfactant, temperature and chain length of alcohol added. For the $C_{12}E_4$ system, addition of n-pentanol and n-hexanol both produced a three phase region over a wide range of temperatures but the middle-phase formed was found to be a $L_3$ or D' phase which would not facilitate solubilization of high molecular weight lubricants. On the other hand, for the $C_{12}E_5$ system, the middle-phase microemulsion was found to be formed with addition of a rather long-chain alcohol such as n-hexanol, n-heptanol, n-octanol, or n-nonanol. The results shown with the addition of cosurfactant was understood in connection with interfacial tension measurements and composition analysis. The inability of the hydrocarbon region of the surfactant films to incorporate the large lubricant molecules and high solubility of a hydrophobic surfactant are thought to be the chief reasons for poor solubilization with D' phase.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.357-364
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• 1997

The objective of this study was to find optimum nonionic surfactants for clean up of soils contaminated by hydrocarbon oils. PIT(phase inversion temperature) measurements in ternary systems containing pure hydrocarbons, pure nonionic surfactants, and water were carried out and interfacial tensions were measured as a function of time for n-hexadecane oil drops brought into contact with various mixtures of nonionic surfactant and water. Batch surfactant washing experiments were performed based on the measurement, results of PIT and interfacial tension and the results showed that maximum removal of n-hexadecane occurred at the PIT of the system. For the $C_{12}E_5(C_{12}H_{25}O(CH_2CH_2O)_5H)$ system, maximum n-hexadecane removal of 73.4% occurred at the PIT of $52^{\circ}C$. In contrast, n-hexadecane removal at $25^{\circ}C$ and at $60^{\circ}C$, each corresponding to the conditions of below PIT and above PIT of the system, was found to be 57.1% and 57.0% respectively. The maximum removal of a hydrocarbon at the PIT of a system, where the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties are balanced, was found to be due to the existence of high oil solubilization into a middle-phase microemulsion and ultralow interfacial of the order of $10^{-2}$ to $10^{-3}$ dyne/cm between middle-phase microemulsion and excess oil phase.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.71-96
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• 1997

We have used a novel liquid surface forces apparatus to determine the variation of disjoining pressure with film thickness for dodecane-water-dodecane emulsion films. The LSFA allows measurement of film thicknesses in the range 5-100 nm and disjoining pressure from 0-1500 Pa. Disjoining pressure isotherms are given for films stabilised by the nonionic surfactnat n-dodecyl pentaoxyethylene glycol ether$(C_{12}E_5)$ and n-decyl-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside($C_{10}- $\beta$-Glu)$ and the anionic surfactant sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulphosuccinate(AOT) in the presense of added electrolyte. For $C_{12}E_5$ and AOT, the emulsion films are indefinitely stable even for the highest concentration of NaCl tested (136.7 Nm) whereas the $C_{10}-{eta}-Glu$ film shows coalescence at this salt concentration. For film thicknesses greater than approximately 20 nm with all three surfactants, the disjoining pressure isotherms are reasonably well described in terms of electrostatic and van der Waals, forces. For the nonionic surfactant emulsion films, the charge properties of the monolayers are qualitatively similar to those seen for foam films. For AOT emulsion films, the monolayer surface potentials estimated by fitting the isotherms are similar to the values of the zeta potential measured for AOT stabilised emulsion droplets. For thin emulsion films certain systems showed isotherms which suggested the presence of an additional repulsive force with a range of approximately 20 nm.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.274-284
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• 1994

Phase Inversion Temperature (PIT) measurements showed that the addition of polar components such as oleyl alcohol and oleic acid to the system comprising n-dodecylpentaoxyethylene monoether ($C_{12}E_5$), nonpolar oil (n-hexadecane) and water produced large reductions in the PIT. The PIT was lowered as the additive-to-surfactant ratio in the surfactant films in the microemulsion phase was increased. Another dramatic effect of additive was the manner in which it affects the volume of the microemulsion phase at the PIT of the oil and water solubilization characteristics. Microemulsion phase volume was increased rapidly with decreasing PIT, i.e., with increasing amounts of additive in the system. Also with a decrease in PIT, the solubilization parameters of both oil and water in the microemulsion phase were strikingly increased. Even though soil removal data were not available for the conditions where our results obtained, PIT measurement seems a useful starting point for estimating conditions when middle-phase microemulsion formation and its associated high solubilization of oil can be expected.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.473-481
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• 1997

Enhanced videomicroscopy was used to observe the dynamic behavior which occurred when water containing pure nonionic surfactant was carefully contacted with equal volumes of polar oils such as oleyl alcohol and oleic acid at various temperatures. A key component of the system is a vertical-stage microscope which provides for stable interfaces by locating the oil above the denser aqueous phase. This arrangement allowed intermediate phases formed at the surface of contact to be clearly observed, as well as any spontaneous emulsification which developed. Contacting experiments with $C_{12}E_5$ as the surfactant and with pure oleyl alcohol and oleic acid soils showed little activity below the cloud point but vigorous activity at higher temperatures including formation of an intermediate lamellar liquid crystalline phase. Diffusion path theory, which allows prediction of spontaneous emulsification resulting from diffusion and of intermediate phase formation during contacting processes, was used to understand the dynamic behavior seen during contacting experiments. Tentative diffusion paths for the contacting experiments with pure oleyl alcohol were presented with the aid of a partial phase diagram of the oleyl alcohol-water-$C_{12}E_5$ system.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.195-199
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• 2009

To select antifungal surfactants, control efficacy of various nonionic and anionic surfactants on cucumber powdery mildew was evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Among 14 surfactants, pentaetylene glycol monododecyl ether ($C_{12}E_5$), mixture of heptaethylene glycol monodecyl ether and heptaethylene monododecyl ether, and heptaethylene glycol mono-9-octadecenyl ether effectively reduced the development of powdery mildew on cucumber plants. Among the surfactants, $C_{12}E_5$ gave the best control efficacy on the disease and did not show phytotoxic response in cucumber plants. Whereas, fenarimol at a recommended rate (31.3 mg/L) showed less control activity than the surfactant (1,000 mg/L). In addition, mixtures of the surfactant and DBEDC, a protective fungicide, showed high control efficacies against powdery mildews of cucumber and strawberry by additive effect in greenhouse tests.