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Interfacial tensions in microemulsions

Wennerström, Håkan LU ; Balogh, Joakim LU and Olsson, Ulf LU (2006) In Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 291(1-3). p.69-77
Abstract
We present a theoretical analysis of the interfacial tensions of microemulsions in ternary systems water-oil-nonionic surfactant. For surfactants based on oligo-ethylene oxide head-groups the temperature can be used to tune the properties of the microemulsions. Explicit expressions are derived for the interfacial tension of both droplet and bicontinuous microemulsions. We also discuss the effect of both capillary waves and bending modes on the interfacial tensions. Sottman and Strey [T. Soumann, R. Strey, Ultralow interfacial tensions in water-n-alkane-surfactant systems, J. Chem. Phys. 106 (1997) 8606-8615] have measured interfacial tensions for a range of systems for temperatures covering Winsor I to Winsor III to Winsor II phase... (More)
We present a theoretical analysis of the interfacial tensions of microemulsions in ternary systems water-oil-nonionic surfactant. For surfactants based on oligo-ethylene oxide head-groups the temperature can be used to tune the properties of the microemulsions. Explicit expressions are derived for the interfacial tension of both droplet and bicontinuous microemulsions. We also discuss the effect of both capillary waves and bending modes on the interfacial tensions. Sottman and Strey [T. Soumann, R. Strey, Ultralow interfacial tensions in water-n-alkane-surfactant systems, J. Chem. Phys. 106 (1997) 8606-8615] have measured interfacial tensions for a range of systems for temperatures covering Winsor I to Winsor III to Winsor II phase behavior. The theoretical expressions are consistent with the experimental data. Under most conditions it is the curvature energy that gives the dominant contribution to the interfacial tension. The magnitude of the effect is determined by different elastic constants for droplet and bicontinuous microemulsions and we conclude that very careful measurements of interfacial tensions can be used to determine both the bending elastic constants of the Helfrich curvature free energy. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
nonionic surfactant of CnEm-type, surface tension, microemulsions
in
Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects
volume
291
issue
1-3
pages
69 - 77
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000242873900011
  • scopus:33750994002
ISSN
0927-7757
DOI
10.1016/j.colsurfa.2006.09.027
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
0841a489-fa35-4fb2-ae9c-d6c7e8dea6b9 (old id 682319)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:03:07
date last changed
2022-03-30 05:05:52
@article{0841a489-fa35-4fb2-ae9c-d6c7e8dea6b9,
  abstract     = {{We present a theoretical analysis of the interfacial tensions of microemulsions in ternary systems water-oil-nonionic surfactant. For surfactants based on oligo-ethylene oxide head-groups the temperature can be used to tune the properties of the microemulsions. Explicit expressions are derived for the interfacial tension of both droplet and bicontinuous microemulsions. We also discuss the effect of both capillary waves and bending modes on the interfacial tensions. Sottman and Strey [T. Soumann, R. Strey, Ultralow interfacial tensions in water-n-alkane-surfactant systems, J. Chem. Phys. 106 (1997) 8606-8615] have measured interfacial tensions for a range of systems for temperatures covering Winsor I to Winsor III to Winsor II phase behavior. The theoretical expressions are consistent with the experimental data. Under most conditions it is the curvature energy that gives the dominant contribution to the interfacial tension. The magnitude of the effect is determined by different elastic constants for droplet and bicontinuous microemulsions and we conclude that very careful measurements of interfacial tensions can be used to determine both the bending elastic constants of the Helfrich curvature free energy. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Wennerström, Håkan and Balogh, Joakim and Olsson, Ulf}},
  issn         = {{0927-7757}},
  keywords     = {{nonionic surfactant of CnEm-type; surface tension; microemulsions}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1-3}},
  pages        = {{69--77}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}},
  title        = {{Interfacial tensions in microemulsions}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2006.09.027}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.colsurfa.2006.09.027}},
  volume       = {{291}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}