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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Chemical Engineering Forum => Topic started by: BloodCrisis on September 15, 2017, 04:16:20 AM

Title: How can I decrease the Krafft temperature of an hexadecyl sulfate surfactant?
Post by: BloodCrisis on September 15, 2017, 04:16:20 AM

I need to prepare an anionic surfactant from a treatment of cetyl alcohol (hexadecanol) and H2SO4, and then neutralize it using NaOH or NH3; but sodium hexadecyl sulfate has a standard [Krafft temperature] of around 45 degrees Celsius, which is too high for our purposes.

Is it possible to reduce the Krafft temperature to room temperature by adding electrolytes, solvents or modifying counter-ions?

Title: Re: How can I decrease the Krafft temperature of an hexadecyl sulfate surfactant?
Post by: Arkcon on September 15, 2017, 08:38:50 AM

Here's scholarly reference:  http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jp021297l?journalCode=jpcbfk

Briefly, that reference claims the the Krafft temperature for cesium dodecyl sulfate is affected by cation concentration.  You can see if that also applies to your case experimentally.

Your question is highly specialized, so this may be the best help you'll get, unless this is a common topic in surfactant manufacture.