L. B. Norton

Detergent solubility as a limiting factor in solubilization by aqueous solutions of two nonionic detergents

Abstract An examination of the temperature-phase diagrams, and of the phases themselves, obtained in solubilization studies with two polyethyleneoxide side-chain type nonionic detergents and several liquid aromatic compounds indicates that the presence of the latter decreases the cloud points of the detergents, thus limiting solubilization. With certain of the solubilizates studied, excess solubilizate will form the second phase at below room temperatures, indicating that the solubilizer micelles are saturated, the behavior of the system now corresponding to that found with solubilization by ionic detergents. A marked transition region may separate the manifestations of these two phenomena. The results obtained thus limit the validity of the turbidity criterion for solubilization end point when studying solubilization in aqueous solutions of nonionic detergents.