Maurice Bourrel

Partitioning of Nonionic and Anionic Surfactant Mixtures Between Oil/Microemulsion/Water Phases

Mixtures of different surfactant types have been proposed for application in polymer/micellar flooding processes. In some cases, severe fractionation of such mixtures is found even in short core experiments. In this paper, a new theory of surfactant partitioning between phases is developed and tested. Polydisperse nonionic surfactants blended with an anionic surfactant are considered. Important parameters in the theory are the critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) of surfactant mixtures in water and the partition coefficients of the surfactant between oil and water measured at total surfactant concentrations less than the CMC. From these simple experiments, surfactant fractionation in microemulsion systems can be modeled. The authors show that the fractionation of polydisperse ethoxylated nonionic surfactants between excess oil and water phases is not as severe in the presence of anionic surfactants as it is in systems containing only nonionic surfactants.

Electrochemistry of nickel oxide films in aqueous and Li+ containing non-aqueous solutions: an application for a new lithium-based nickel oxide electrode exhibiting electrochromism by a reversible Li+ ion insertion mechanism

Abstract The new composition Li 0.6 + Ni 0.70 II O 2− was prepared by room temperature electrochemical insertion of lithium into X-ray-amorphous nickel-oxide-based film. The film undergoes a reversible electrochemical Li + insertion process which is accompanied by a net electrochromic effect.

Preparation and characterization of fluorinated indium tin oxide films prepared by r.f. sputtering

Fluorinated indium tin oxide (FITO) films have been produced by r.f. magnetron sputtering of a target made of a mixture of indium sesquioxide and tin difluoride. The optical and electrical properties of the films have been investigated and correlated with the composition. The performances of FITO films have been compared with those of ITO films.

Differentiation of continuous and discontinuous phases of water-in-oil microemulsions using dialysis

Abstract The application of dialysis to establish the chemical composition of the continuous phase of an oil-in-water microemulsion is described. Applied to saturated microemulsions, the method is shown to yield results in full agreement with the titration technique. It is also shown to be applicable to untitratable systems such as unsaturated microemulsions or complex five-component microemulsions which have not been studied by any other method.

Solubilization in Microemulsions

It is now recognized that systems optimized for micellar flooding are not all equivalent in terms of solubilization and interfacial tensions. The basic conditions which promote high solubilization into microemulsions, a property correlated to the values of interfacial tensions, have been previously established with the usual formulation parameters: for example, changes in salinity have to be compensated by adjusting the hydrophile of the surfactant. A satisfactory interpretation of the results has been provided by Winsor’s R-theory.

On new indium tin oxihalides

Abstract The reaction at room temperature of solid indium trioxide with tin ( II ) fluoride, chloride and bromide, either solid or in aqueous or alcohol solutions, leads to new indium tin oxihalides. These materials are degenerate semiconductors like indium tin oxide and flourine tin oxide.

Effect of Anionic Surfactants on the Partitioning of Nonionic Surfactants between Oil/Microemulsion/Water Phases

The partitioning of nonionic and anionic surfactants between excess and microemulsion phases which are in equilibrium is studied both experimentally and theoretically at high surfactant concentrations. In a first step, commercial ethoxylated octylphenols presenting the usual distribution of ethylene oxide units are investigated. Then their mixtures with alkylbenzene sulfonates are considered. Concentration and distribution of molecular species are measured by gas or liquid chromatography.