Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Solution Blow Spinning of Polymeric Nano-Composite Fibers for Personal Protective Equipment
Published on: March 18, 2021
Chain-length and solvent dependent morphological changes in sodium soap fibers
Marc C A Stuart1, Jan van Esch, John C van de Pas
1Formulation Unit, Unilever Research and Development, Olivier van Noordlaan120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen, The Netherlands. m.c.a.stuart@rug.nl
Abstract:
Sodium soap fibers with varying alkyl chain lengths were studied by cryotransmission electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetery in water and water-propylene glycol mixtures. The morphology of the lamellar fibers was found to be dependent on the chain length of the alkyl chain and the solvent polarity. Cryoelectron microscopy revealed that short-chain (C10-C14) sodium soaps have the bilayer plane perpendicular to the fiber width, which enables one to see the bilayer striations on the fibers, whereas long-chain (C16-C20) sodium soaps have bilayer planes parallel to the fiber width, and the bilayer striations are not visible. This change in morphology is accompanied by a change in dissolution enthalpy.
Related Concept Videos
Colloids
Solubility
A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
In a solution, the solute particles (molecules, atoms, and/or ions)...
Micelles
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Entropy and Solvation

