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Effect of Sodium Carbonate on the Cloud Point in Alkyl Ether/Brine Systems: Apparent Relation with Dynamic Interfacial Tension Minimum

  • Original Article
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Journal of Surfactants and Detergents

Abstract

The effect of Na2CO3 on the cloud point in Na2CO3/surfactant/brine was investigated using two series of nonionic surfactants, C13EO x and C17EO x . The cloud point, T cp, was found to decrease linearly with increasing Na2CO3 concentration. This was attributed to Na+ and particularly to CO3 2−salting-out effect. The slope a = dTcp/d[Na2CO3] became more and more negative as the degree of ethoxylation is increased, suggesting that the higher the number of ethylene oxide (EO) groups the stronger is the cloud point depression for a given increment in Na+and CO3 2−ions in solution. This was also illustrated by the linear variation of ΔT cp = T cp,0 − T cp,[Na2CO3] with the surfactant degree of ethoxylation.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to the Research Council (TRC, Sultanate of Oman) for supporting this research (Grant: RC/SCI/CHEM/12/03).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, University Saad Dahlab, Blida 1, Blida, Algeria

    Moundher Hadji & Amel Hadj-Ziane-Zafour

  2. Department of Chemistry, Sultan Qaboos University, 123, Al-Khodh, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

    Mohamed Aoudia

  3. Department of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, 123, Al-Khodh, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

    Adil Al-Rubkhi & Rashid S. Al-Maamari

Authors
  1. Moundher Hadji
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  2. Mohamed Aoudia
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  3. Adil Al-Rubkhi
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  4. Rashid S. Al-Maamari
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  5. Amel Hadj-Ziane-Zafour
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Correspondence to Mohamed Aoudia.

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Hadji, M., Aoudia, M., Al-Rubkhi, A. et al. Effect of Sodium Carbonate on the Cloud Point in Alkyl Ether/Brine Systems: Apparent Relation with Dynamic Interfacial Tension Minimum. J Surfact Deterg 19, 1223–1229 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-016-1870-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-016-1870-3

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