Mixed micellization of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide and Triton X-100 in water-ethanol mixtures, using potentiometric and surface tension techniques

The mixed micelles of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) and Triton X-100 (TX-100) in mixed solvent have been investigated using potentiometric and surface tension techniques. In order to estimate the interaction between the surfactants and ethanol, the cmc data were treated by using the conventional regular solution theory for mixed micelles. It was found that the interaction parameter values (β) varied with variation of solvent composition. In all cases the results showed deviation from ideal behavior. The stability of the mixed micelles was also discussed based on Maeda's approach. The obtained data show that mixed micellization became unfavorable with increasing alcohol concentration. Also, the maximum synergism in ethanol/water mixtures has been determined according to Rosen's new approach. The observed maximum synergisms were obtained from x1 = 0.25 to x1 = 0.35 at different concentrations of ethanol.