SMALL-ANGLE NEUTRON-SCATTERING STUDY OF BINARY AND TERNARY AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS OF 2-BUTOXYETHANOL AND NONIONIC SURFACTANT TRIETHYLENE GLYCOL MONOHEXYL ETHER

We present small-angle neutron scattered intensity measurements for so me binary and ternary aqueous solutions of 2-butoxyethanol and C6E3 (a nonionic surfactant) at 4, 20 and 40 degrees C. The spectra were anal ysed in terms of two models which take into account the simultaneous p resence of aggregates and concentration fluctuactions. The analysis fo r the binary solutions focuses on the similarities and differences exi sting in the aggregates of the alcohol and the surfactant, We determin e the various parameters of the aggregates, such as size, hydration wa ter and aggregation number. The analysis performed for the ternary sol utions shows the role of different amounts of alcohol added to solutio ns of fixed surfactant concentrations. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.