Nonionic Micelles in Mixed Water Glycerol Solvent

The aggregation properties of the nonionic amphiphile C12E8 in water-glycerol mixtures are investigated at various glycerol volume fractions X by surface tension, light scattering, refractometry, and viscosimetry measurements. In the range 0 < X < 0.4, the critical micelle concentration increases slowly with X, and the aggregation number m decreases with X. For X > 0.4, the CMC grows considerably, and the Krafft temperature becomes larger than room temperature. The minimum of the cloud point curve decreases from 74°C at X = 0 to 43°C at X = 0.6.