FORMULATION OF LYOTROPIC LAMELLAR PHASES OF SURFACTANTS AS NOVEL LUBRICANTS

A number of lyotropic lamellar liquid crystalline phases have been for mulated using the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium chloride in the so lvents ethylene glycol and glycerol, using decanol, dodecanol, oleic a cid, and oleyl alcohol as cosurfactants. The lamellar phases and their existence range were characterized using optical microscopy, X-ray di ffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. The purpose of the ex ercise was to test these lamellar phases as potential lubricants by me asuring their coefficients of friction in metal to metal contact. The results indicate that some of the samples have coefficients of frictio n similar to or better than selected commercial oils.