Title
Formulating Nonionic Detergents via the Integrated Free Energy Model
Date Issued
01 September 2019
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
University of Toronto
Publisher(s)
John Wiley and Sons Inc.
Abstract
This work explores the optimum detergency conditions of alkyl ethoxylate (CXEOY) surfactants with the integrated free energy model (IFEM). IFEM is a molecular thermodynamic model that calculates the free energy of formation of oil-swollen spherical micelles, with a core solubilization radius Ro, using surfactants from empty (oil-free) micelles and oil molecules from a continuous oil phase. The described geometry allows for rapid calculations, using a personal laptop (3.4 GHz processor), where each solubilization energy profile (free energy vs. Ro curve) can be solved in 5 min or less. While previous work showed quantitative agreement between IFEM predictions and experimental solubilization of alkanes in CXEOY micelles, this work explores the possibility of using IFEM as a tool in surfactant selection. Experimental work has shown that detergency improved when operating near the phase inversion temperature (PIT) of the surfactant-hexadecane system. The IFEM simulations in this work show, for the first time, that IFEM can be used to predict the PIT of surfactant-oil systems, and that the surfactants selected via this method are consistent with the selection guided by experimental observations.
Start page
1023
End page
1037
Volume
22
Issue
5
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ingeniería química Ingeniería del Petróleo, (combustibles, aceites), Energía, Combustibles
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85068806212
Source
Journal of Surfactants and Detergents
ISSN of the container
10973958
Sponsor(s)
This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus