A new soap/detergent/water lyotropic liquid crystal with a biaxial nematic phase

A new lyotropic liquid crystal, potassium laurate, decylammonium chloride and water, which has two uniaxial phases and a biaxial nematic phase, is reported. A surface of the phase diagram and X-ray diffraction studies are presented. The chemical stability of this mixture is compared with the potassium laurate/decanol/water mixture. Optical measurements of the birefringence and X-ray studies indicate that this new mixture is more stable than the usual mixtures with alcohol.