• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 2011

The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of sorbitan laurate SP 20 surfactant in this paper was near $7.216{\times}10^{-4}mol/L$ and the surface tension at CMC was about 26.0 mN/m, which showed higher CMC and lower surface tension than those of octylphenol ethoxylate octylphenol ethoxylate (OPE) 10 surfactant. Dynamic surface tension measurement using a maximum bubble pressure tensiometer showed that the adsorption rate at the interface between air and surfactant solution was found to be slower with SP 20 surfactant, presumably due to a low mobility of SP 20 surfactant monomer. The contact angle of SP 20 surfactant solution was observed to decrease with an increase in surfactant concentration and showed a larger value than that of OPE 10 surfactant solution. Half-life time for foams generated with 1 wt% surfactant solution was also larger with SP 20 surfactant, which indicated higher foam stability with SP 20 surfactant. Dynamic behavior study reveals that the solubilization of n-decane oil was much lower with SP 20, which is in good agreement with experimental results of foam stability, contact angle and CMC. Dynamic interfacial tension measurement by a spinning drop tensiometer shows that interfacial tensions at equilibrium condition in both systems were almost the same but the time required to reach equilibrium was longer with SP 20.