Structure probing of water/mixed nonionic surfactants/caprylic-capric triglyceride system using conductivity and NMR

The phase behavior as function of temperature and oil content in the water/sucrose laurate/ethoxylated mono-di-glycerides/caprylic-capric triglyceride system was investigated. The types of microstructures formed along the one phase microemulsion channel were examined using electrical conductivity and self-diffusion NMR. Electrical conductivity was determined when the water was replaced by 0.05 M NaCl aqueous solution. It decreases as the amount of oil in the system increases. The diffusion coefficients provide an evidence of the transition from oil-in-water to bicontinuous to water-in-oil microstructures. The hydrodynamic radius of the oil-in-water microemulsions increases as the temperature increases.