Structural changes induced by addition of a hydrocarbon to water/amphiphile mixtures

The phase conditions in a system of water, hexadecane, sodium dodecyl sulphate, and di-ethylene glycol dodecyl ether showed theW/O microemulsions to be obtained first after destabilization of a liquid crystalline phase by addition of the hexadecane. The original lamellar liquid crystalline phase was moved towards higher surfactant/cosurfactant ratios and a new phase with inverse amphiphile cylinders in a hexagonal packing appeared.