Phase behaviour and microstructures of microemulsions (I)

By the orthogonal design, the optimal formation conditions for the middle-phase microemulsions in the system dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride (DODMAC)/ sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/n-butanol/n-hep-tane/brine were obtained as follows: W_DODMAC: W_SDS = 1:4-1:5,C _π-butanol (%) = 11.0-12.0, andC _NaCl (%) = 3.25 Investigations have been made on the effects of the concentrations of NaCl and n-butanol (l.0%-14.0%), the ratios ofWDODMAC: to W_SDS, and the kinds of alcohols (n-propanol, n-butanol, and n-pentanol) on the formation, the phase behaviour, the ultralow interfacial tensions, the optimal salinity (S^*), and the length of salinity (δS). Some rules and data were worked out about the formation and characteristics of the middle-phase microemulsions. The mi-crostructures of the middle-phase microemulsions were also studied by using FT-IR, ESR, and freeze fracture electron microscopy techniques. The results from the three methods show that the microstructures of the middlephase mi-croemulsions undergo the change from O/W to bicontinuous (B.C.) and to W/O. The distribution rule of the orga-nized molecule assemblies in the middle-phase microemulsions is conducible to constructing the model of microemulsion systems, to recognizing the microstructures of the middle-phase microemulsions, and to setting forth the relationship between the microstructures and macro-properties of rnicroemulsions. Project supported by the Niltional Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Postdoctoral Science Foundation.