Solubilization of Gases by Polyethoxylated Octyl Phenols

Measurements have been made to determine the solubilities of a number of gases in aqueous solutions of commercially available polyethoxylated octyl phenols at temperatures ranging from 25°C to 45°C (298-318 K). The solubilities determined for each gas increase linearly with surfactant concentration. The intramicellar gas solubilities derived from these data are found to be relatively insensitive to temperature and sodium chloride in the external aqueous phase. When analyzed in terms of surfactant composition, the intramicellar gas solubilities are found to depend solely on the octyl phenol content of each surfactant. This suggests that the ethylene oxide chains of the micellized surfactant molecules do not contribute directly to the solubilization process, even under conditions near the cloud point. Copyright 1997 Academic Press. Copyright 1997Academic Press