Altering Phase Separation in Aqueous Nonionic Surfactant Solutions by Power Ultrasound

Cloud point extraction (CPE) is an efficient and green separation technology as an alternative to conventional organic solvent extractions. How to accelerate the phase separation of aqueous surfactant solutions conveniently is of great importance. In this study, the effect of power ultrasound on the phase separation of aqueous solutions of a nonionic surfactant, Triton X-114 [(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl) phenyl-polyethylene glycol], has been studied as a function of temperature by means of rheo-small angle light scattering. It is found that anomalous viscosity enhancements and micron-sized scattering aggregates are observed for the surfactant solutions after ultrasound irradiation. The aggregate growth is quantified by the characteristic length of the aggregates. It is proposed that ultrasonic cavitation can promote the aggregation or transition of surfactants in the aqueous solutions, resulting in the formation of micrometer-scale phase-separated droplets. This work may advance further understanding of the controlled transformation of aggregates in surfactant solutions via power ultrasound and promote its applications in CPE.