Introducing dynamic salinity-induced phase-inversion (Dy-SPI) conductivity measurements as a new method to characterize surfactant-oil-water (SOW) systems

Abstract: The conventional method to determine the characteristic curvature of a surfactant is via the visual observance of the emulsion stability following the equilibration of salinity scans. This method is performed in a static environment to allow for the complete surfactant migration to its preferred phase, which can be tedious and timely, especially with high surfactant concentrations as viscous gels commonly form. In this presentation, we discuss the use of dynamic salinity-induced phase-inversion (Dy-SPI) conductivity measurements as an effective and rapid screening method to characterize microemulsion conditions for alcohol ethoxylate based Surfactant-Oil-Water (SOW) systems. An understanding of how the Dy-SPI conductivity measurements can be used to determine the optimal salinity (S*) for a given surfactant at a set concentration, as well as its characteristic curvature (Cc) via a series of experiments with varying oil types will be given. Additionally, the results from both the conventional and the Dy-SPI conductivity methods will be compared.