The effect of the concentration of non-ionic surfactant amphiphilic molecules on the structure and gelation in aqueous dispersions

The structure and morphology of aqueous dispersions, the gelation, and the intermolecular interactions of water molecules with a Synthanol ALM-10 non-ionic low-molecular surfactant have been investigated using viscosimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, IR spectroscopy, and phase-contrast and polarization optical microscopy in the entire range of concentrations (from 0 to 100 wt%). The polymorphism and polydispersity of Synthanol ALM-10 micelles have been detected. We have determined the gelation mechanism in aqueous dispersions containing from 40 to 70 wt% of amphiphilic molecules. It is found that an increase in the concentration in Synthanol ALM-10 dispersions is accompanied, first, with the formation of inverse micelles of the surfactant, followed by sequential alteration of lyotropic mesophases with the hexagonal symmetry and new forms of bound water associated with the formation of clathrate hydrates. The viscosity of the system increases significantly in this case. At high concentrations of Synthanol ALM-10 (exceeding 70 wt%), inverse micelles are mainly observed.