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Phase behavior and network formation in a cationic surfactant‐fatty alcohol‐water system
Author(s) -
Benton William J.,
Miller Clarence A.,
Wells Robert L.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of the american oil chemists' society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.512
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1558-9331
pISSN - 0003-021X
DOI - 10.1007/bf02549307
Subject(s) - pulmonary surfactant , differential scanning calorimetry , cationic polymerization , fatty alcohol , chemical engineering , lamellar structure , phase (matter) , materials science , aqueous solution , viscoelasticity , chemistry , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , thermodynamics , physics , engineering
Abstract Optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry were used to study the behavior of dilute aqueous systems containing mixtures of a long‐chain cationic surfactant and long‐chain fatty alcohols. Both alcoholrich particles with a lamellar structure and crystalline fibers containing considerable surfactant were observed, the fibers becoming more prevalent with decreasing values of the alcohol‐to‐surfactant ratio r. For values of r exceeding about two, separate fibrous and particulate regions were seen, the latter forming continuous networks throughout individual samples and hence contributing to the viscoelastic properties known to characterize these formulations. Studies of system behavior as a function of temperature showed that melting temperatures of the fibers and particles were about 55 C and 60 C, respectively.