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Vapour pressures of phenethyl alcohol and limonene in systems with water and Laureth 4
S E Friberg1, Q Yin, P A Aikens
1Clarkson University, Department of Chemistry, Potsdam, NY13699-5810 Potsdam USA.
Abstract:
The vapour pressures of phenethyl alcohol and limonene in their water-in-oil microemulsion region were measured by head space gas chromatography of equilibrated samples. The results showed that the vapour pressure of both fragrance compounds in their mutual solutions without surfactant or water was significantly greater than that in ideal solutions. The high vapour pressure of phenethyl alcohol in such solutions was strongly reduced by addition of the surfactant, Laureth 4, a commercial nonionic surfactant, approximately teteraethylene glycol dodecyl ether. Saturation of the solutions with water gave a further reduction in the vapour pressure. The high vapour pressure of limonene was not influenced to a corresponding degree; in fact, only a small influence was found. The results were interpreted as resulting from differences in intermolecular interactions due to location of the fragrance compounds in different parts of the colloidal association structures.
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