STRUCTURE OF A COSURFACTANT-FREE MICROEMULSION

Abstract
By using a surfactant having three short oxyethylene chains, one of which is terminated with a phosphonate monoethyl ester group, a three phase system is obtained with brine and hydrocarbon without the addition of cosurfactant. The structure of the middle phase microemulsion has been investigated by means of a number of physical methods. Strong evidence is presented for a w/o structure.