CONFIGURATION OF R-O-(CH2-CH2-O)(N)-H SURFACTANT MOLECULES IN AQUEOUS-SOLUTION

The behaviour of surfactant molecules plays an important role in the stabilisation of colloidal systems. Stabilisation results from the adsorption of surfactant molecules at the solid-liquid interface. When using surfactant molecules as stabilisers, it is first necessary to describe their configuration in solution before considering their adsorption at the surface of colloidal particles. A detailed study of R-O-(CH2-CH2-O)(n)-H macromolecules in solution using viscometry, tensiometry, small angle X-ray scattering and turbidimetry revealed changes in behaviour, depending not only on concentration (isolated molecules, spherical micelles, macromolecular micelles, lamellar micelles) but also on the ratio between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic segment chain lengths.