Physico-chemical properties of dense water/copper(II) bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate/CCl4 microemulsions

Measurements of some physico-chemical properties (density, viscosity, conductance, infra-red spectral of water/copper(II) bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (Cu(DEHSS)(2))/CCl4 microemulsions, as a function of the volume fraction O of the dispersed phase (0 < O < 0.6) and of the molar ratio R (R = [water]/[DEHSS-]) have been performed at 25 degrees C. At each value of R, the density of the micellar phase is practically independent of O whereas the viscosity of microemulsions diverges above threshold O values. A divergent behavior for the electrical conductivity has also been observed but only at certain R values. These results, together with those from infra-red spectra, suggest that in percolated microemulsions nearly structurally unperturbed reversed micelles aggregate, forming an extended network sustained by topological hindrances and/or intermicellar interactions.