Phase behavior and solubilization of 1-hexanol in the water-continuous phases containing surface-active compounds

Abstract

For ternary systems of 1-hexanol, water, and surface-active compounds, the phase diagrams and the solubilizations of alcohol in the micellar water-continuous phases were determined by chromalographic analysis and by measuring conductivities and turbidities. Near the region of the water-1-hexanol binary system, a narrow three-phase region including two water-continuous phases appeared as surfactant added. Depending on the levels of surfactant concentration, the transition of the micelles to the liquid crystallines occurred in the first order type or in the continuous type. The maxima of the electrical conductivities and the onset of the turbidities were consistent with the approximated phase boundaries. The change of the solubilities of alcohol in the aqueous micellar solutions indicated that on or near the phase transition regions there might exist cylinderically-organized flexible micelles, having high conductivities and high turbidities but small solubilization efficiencies of alcohol in the amphiphilic layer. © 1987 Korean Institute of Chemical Engineering.