Electric conductivity measurements on the nematic states of a micellar solution of potassium laurate/1-decanol/D2O

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Abstract
We present electric conductivity measurements on a mixture of 25.15 potassium laurate/6.33 1‐decanol/68.52 D2O by weight. The mixture shows two isotropic phases, two uniaxial nematics, and a biaxial nematic phase. The variation of the conductivities with temperature shows the phase transitions, which were also optically verified. The average conductivity does not change at the phase transitions. It shows a temperature dependence that is almost fully due to the effect of the viscosity of the aqueous phase on the ion mobility. The anisotropy of the conductivity in the uniaxial nematic phase is relatively weak. An analysis of the conductivity in terms of micellar structures suggests relatively small micelles of ellipsoidal shape. The reorientation of NC in magnetic fields of 10 kG has relaxation times of 20–40 s. The rotational viscosity is in the order of 10 P.