MICROEMULSION SYSTEMS WITH MONOBUTYL ETHER OF ETHYLENE-GLYCOL OR DIETHYLENE GLYCOL AS COSURFACTANT

Microemulsions with two water soluble glycol derivatives as cosurfactant and sodium dodecyl sulfate or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide were investigated. Maximization of solubilization of toluene and water was achieved for both systems at low concentration of surfactant. But with one exception, the same effect was not observed for all the heptane containing microemulsions. The results did not seem to show the complementary function between the nitrogen containing surfactant CTAB and neither the glycol cosurfactants nor the solubility of the cosurfactant in water is decisive factor for high solubilization of water and toluene.