Aqueous Phase Behavior of a NaLAS–Polycarboxylate Polymer System

Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (NaLAS) surfactant is often combined with polycarboxylate polymers in detergent formulations. However, the behavior of these aqueous surfactant-polymer systems absence an added electrolyte unreported. This work investigates such using polarized light microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), centrifugation, and 2H NMR techniques. A phase diagram at 50 °C reported for 0-50 wt % NaLAS concentrations 0-10 concentrations. The NaLAS-water system micellar 20 NaLAS), addition a polymer induces second lamellar phase. These observed behaviors are thought to arise as result depletion flocculation salting-out effects. phases adopt colloidal multilamellar vesicle (MLV) structures, average MLV radii were estimated by probing diffusion anisotropy D2O within bilayers vesicles. results show that concentration was increased from 0 10 %, increase size ∼200 ∼500 nm observed. calculated radius likely flocculation-induced fusion.