Partitioning of ethoxylated octylphenol surfactants in microemulsion-oil-water systems: Influence of temperature and relation between partitioning coefficient and physicochemical formulation

The partitioning coefficient of a surfactant between oil and water is related to the free energy of transfer from one phase to the other. The influence of temperature on the partition coefficient of octylphenol ethoxylate oligomers between oil and water is reported. The variation of the partition coefficient with formulation variables can be used as a yardstick for the concept of generalized formulation expression.