In a continuing research program it is proposed to develop an improved fundamental understanding of the equilibrium and dynamic behavior of oil-water-surfactant systems and to assess the implications of the results to current challenges in detergency. Phase behavior experiments and observations of dynamic behavior using videomicroscopy will be carried out with model systems consisting of pure components. However, emphasis shall ultimately be on systems containing mixtures of pure surfactant and/or soils since mixtures are the rule in practice. Strong interaction with industrial research groups investigates detergency will continue to be a significant part of this work. One major emphasis of the research will be to determine the limiting conditions in mixed soil or mixed surfactant systems when surfactant-rich intermediate phases just start to form upon contact of surfactant solution and soil. Early results suggest that detergency improves significantly when such phases occur, whatever the details of the phase behavior. Thus, this approach offers the promise of being of general use to identify conditions where good detergency can be expected for a wide variety of systems of general widespread interest.
