Phase behavior and structural transitions in sodium dodecyl sulfonate microemulsions

The forming mechanism of microemulsion of sodium dodecyl sulfonate, alcohols, water and isooctane was studied, with particular emphasis on the effect of molecular weight and concentration of alcohols. Phase diagram of the four components, alcohol, sodium dodecyl sulfonate, water and isooctane, was used as a means of study, through which the microemulsion regions were determined. Phase diagram of sodium dodecyl sulfonate/n-pentanol/isooetane/water system at k(m) = 2 (k(m) = Wn-pentanol/W-SDS) is presented. The variation of conductivities of different microemulsion samples with water was measured. From the conductivities we investigated a change in structure from water droplets in oil (W/O) at low water content to liquid crystal at intermediate water content and a structure of oil droplets,in water (O/W) at high water content.