Contact angles as indicators of micellization

V.D. Dolzhikova, O.A. Soboleva, B.D. Summ

Colloid Journal, v.59(3), p.309-312(1997)

ABSTRACT. Wetting of low and high energy surfaces by aqueous solutions of ionic and nonionic micelle-forming surfactants was studied. For low energy surfaces, a distinct correlation between the isotherms of contact angles and the surface tension of the solutions was observed, namely, a sharp inflection on the isotherms corresponded to known values of the critical micellization concentration (CMC) for all studied surfactants. For the wetting of high energy surfaces, the sessile drop method does not allow us to determined the CMC. However, for anionic and nonionic surfactants, the CMC may be determined by the capillary rise method. In this case, a correlation between the isotherms of the height of capillary rise h(C) and isotherms was revealed.

Laboratory of General Colloid Chemistry