Interactive study between aqueous cationic and anionic surfactant using physical and acoustical parameters

Abstract

Abstract Surfactants have high important application in everyday life due to its amphiphilic nature. Ionic surfactants have either positive or negative charge on its head group making it cationic and anionic in nature. The physical properties of binary solutions of SDS-CTAB in water were thoroughly examined across various mole fraction ratios at temperatures of 298K and 308K. These properties included relative densities, relative viscosities, specific conductance, and the velocity of sound measured through the solutions. Utilizing this data, several critical physical parameters such as adiabatic compressibility (βad), intermolecular free length (Lf), acoustic impedance (Z), viscous relaxation time (τ), and molar free volume (Vf) were calculated using established formulas and relationships. The results obtained from these calculations suggest a compelling presence of molecular interactions between the cationic and anionic surfactants within the solution. These interactions appear to be of an associative nature, indicating a cooperative relationship between the molecules involved. The investigated values of the physical properties support this notion, reinforcing the feasibility of molecular interaction within the SDS-CTAB binary solutions. Furthermore, the derived acoustical and adiabatic parameters exhibit a strong correlation with the experimental observations, signifying the accuracy and reliability of the findings. These parameters collectively provide insights into the nature and characteristics of the interactions occurring between the cationic and anionic surfactants in the solution, highlighting their impact on the overall properties and behaviour of the system.