Phase Behavior and Rheological Properties of Poly(vinyl alcohol)/AES/Water System

In this work, the phase behavior of the poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/alkyl ethoxysulfate (AES)/water ternary system is investigated at 25 °C. The PVA/AES/water ternary phase diagram is conducted which shows that there are two main phases corresponding to the solid phase and the hexagonal liquid crystalline phase (H) in the ternary system. Besides these two phases, a high-viscosity liquid phase (L₂) and a micellar phase (L₁) can also be found in the phase diagram, although they just occupy small areas. Polarizing optical microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering are used to characterize the different lyotropic liquid crystal types. Moreover, the viscosity distribution and oscillation tests are also performed by means of the rheometer. High elastic modulus (G') and viscous modulus (G″) can be found in the H and the L₂ phase, whereas both moduli are low in the L₁ region. The PVA/AES/water ternary phase diagram provides a good guide for accelerating the selection of the detergent formula, whereas the rheological tests provide an application guidance for industrial operations. Beyond tis, the L₁ region is considered to be a reasonable range for slurry making because of its good fluidity and low viscoelasticity. This research enriches the content of polymer-surfactant aggregates and promotes the development of solid detergent manufacturing industry.