Phase behavior, interfacial composition and thermodynamic properties of mixed surfactant (CTAB and Brij-58) derived w/o microemulsions with 1-butanol and 1-pentanol as cosurfactants and n-heptane and n-decane as oils

Phase diagrams of pseudo-quaternary systems of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)/polyoxyethylene(20)cetyl ether (Brij-58)/water/1-butanol (or 1-pentanol)/n-heptane (or n-decane) at fixed ω   (=[water]/[surfactant]) of 55.6 were constructed at different temperatures (293, 303, 313, and 323 K) and different mole fraction compositions of Brij-58 (XBrij-58=0XBrij-58=0, 0.5, and 1.0 in CTAB + Brij-58 mixture). Pure CTAB stabilized systems produced larger single-phase domains than pure Brij-58 stabilized systems. Increasing temperature increased the single-phase domain in the Brij-58 stabilized systems, whereas the domain decreased in the CTAB stabilized systems. For mixed surfactant systems (with XBrij=0.5XBrij=0.5) negligible influence of temperature in the studied range of 293 to 323 K on the phase behavior was observed. Interfacial compositions of the mixed microemulsion systems at different temperature and different compositions were evaluated by the dilution method. The nai (number of moles of alcohol at the interface) and nao (number of moles of alcohol in the oil phase) determined from dilution experiments were found to decrease and increase respectively for CTAB stabilized systems, whereas an opposite trend was witnessed for Brij-58 stabilized systems. The energetics of transfer of cosurfactants from oil to the interface were found to be exothermic and endothermic for CTAB and Brij-58 stabilized systems, respectively. At equimolar composition of CTAB and Brij-58, the phase diagrams were temperature insensitive, so that the enthalpy of the aforesaid transfer process was zero.

Graphical abstractPhase behavior of mixed surfactant (CTAB and Brij-58) derived w/o microemulsions with 1-butanol and 1-pentanol as cosurfactants and n-heptane and n-decane as oils has been studied. Interfacial composition and the related thermodynamic properties of these systems have been determined using the dilution method.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide