Partial molar volumes and compressibilities of alkyltrimethylammonium bromides

Density and ultrasound measurements were performed for dodecyl- and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide at 15, 25 and 35°C and for hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide at 25, 35 and 45°C over a wide concentration region. From these and previously reported data, partial molar volumes and isentropic and isothermal compressibilities were derived as a function of the surfactant concentration. It is shown that by increasing the surfactant concentration the apparent molar volumes and compressibilities increase according to the expected behavior of surfactant solutions. However, anomalies are displayed in plots of apparent molar compressibility of tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide and of the speed of sound for all the surfactants studied as a function of concentration. These peculiarities can be ascribed to micellar structural transitions. The standard thermodynamic properties and the CH₂ group contributions have been obtained by the additivity rule. The results obtained for the compressibility and volume properties are different from those reported in the literature. The volumes and compressibilities of micellization were graphically evaluated on the basis of the pseudo-phase transition model.