Effect of additives on the critical micelle concentration of some polyethoxylated nonionic detergents

Abstract

Abstract The effect of electrolytes and other additives influencing water structure, viz., urea and formamide, has been studied on the micelle formation of polyethoxylated nonionic detergents in their aqueous solutions. The decrease in critical micelle concentration (c.m.c.) by electrolytes has been interpreted in terms of salting out mechanism and evidence has been obtained in support of the contention that micelles of polyethoxylated nonionic detergents are weakly positively charged. Effect of urea and formamide on the c.m.c. values of these nonionic detergents indicate that hydrophobic bonding is loosened in their presence with a consequent increase in the c.m.c. of these detergents.