The L phase of the ternary CTAB/benzyl alcohol/water system that extends fr
om the water corner to the alcohol corner was studied by the sound velocity
method which indicated variations in velocity when the aggregate structure
changed from normal micelles in water to reverse micelles in the alcohol c
orner of the phase diagram. From these results it was concluded that the tr
ansition from normal to reverse micelles takes place while passing through
two different bicontinuous regions, one of them with alcohol micro domains
dispersed in water and the other one as a bicontinuous reverse region with
the predominance of the water domains dispersed in alcohol. (C) 1999 Academ
ic Press.