Biological microemulsions: Part III--The formation characteristics and transport properties of saffola-aerosol OT-hexylamine-water system.

ABSTRACT

The results of formation, phase behaviour and physical properties of biological microemulsions prepared from saffola/AOT/hexylamine/water in presence of different additives, viz. cholesterol, crown ether, urea and brine, are presented. It has been found that the additives and temperature have striking effects; mono-, bi- and triphasic solutions interchanging proportions among themselves. The conduction of microemulsion at different [Water/AOT] ratios (w = 9,10,14,18,20,39 and 45) has shown conspicuous dependence on temperature with a significant degree of percolation, whereas the dependence of viscosity on temperature has shown normal declining trend with temperature. A maximum in viscosity with respect to its variation with amount of water has been observed. The Walden product (lambda eta) has evidenced noncompensation of ion transport by conduction with the viscosity of the medium. The activation energies evaluated for conduction (delta E*cond) and viscosity (delta E*vis) are systematic except at [Water/AOT] ratio, w = 20. The additives cholesterol, crown ether and their mixture have shown a decreasing effect on the delta E*cond for percolation, whereas delta E*vis has increased in their presence. The bicontinuous microemulsion has the prospect for use as liquid membrane.