Structural and dynamical investigation of gelatin containing water-in-oil microemulsions

The gelatin (Bloom 300)/water/AOT/n-heptane system has been investigated at fixed water/AOT molar ratio R (R = 31.1) as a function of the gelatin content. Several experimental techniques (densitometry, refractometry, conductometry, rheology, dielectrometry, ultrasonics, hypersonics) have been used to investigate the role played by the gelatin molecule in the observed sol-gel transition above a critical gelatin content. The results appear consistent with the hypothesis of a rigid network of gelatin-water rods coated by surfactant molecules coexisting with gelatin-free AOT reversed micelles at the gelation point.