INCREASING THE SOLUBILITY ENHANCEMENT OF ANIONIC DOWFAX SURFACTANTS

Previous research has demonstrated the robust nature of DOWFAX surfact ants for enhanced subsurface remediation. However, these surfactants a re not as effective as others in enhancing contaminant solubility. A s eries of experiments evaluated various methods of increasing the solub itity enhancement of the DOWFAX components (i.e., using a cosurfactant , adding an electrolyte, and forming middle-phase microemulsions). Res ults demonstrate that while increasing the alkyl chain produced slight increases in contaminant solubility, middle-phase microemulsions prod uced the greatest enhancements. Middle-phase microcmulsions were produ ced using an electrolyte, isobutanol, a cosurfactant, and one of the D OWFAX components. Middle-phase microemulsions increased contaminant so lubilities by one to two orders of magnitude over DOWFAX surfactants a lone, and by three to four orders of magnitude relative to water. Thus , DOWFAX-based microemulsion systems have the potential to significant ly enhance contaminant solubility and expedite environmental remediati on.