title: [Comparison of conductivity-water content curve and visual methods for ascertaintation of the critical water content of O/W microemulsions formation].
abstract: This study is to screen 23 blank O/W type microemulsion (ME) samples, that is 15 samples from our laboratory, and 8 samples from literature; compare the conductivity-water content curve (CWCC) method and visual method in determining the critical water content during O/W type MEs' formation, to analyze the deficiency and the feasibility of visual method and to exploxe scientific meanings of CWCC method in judging the critical water content of O/W type MEs during formation. The results show that there is a significant difference between the theoretical feasible CWCC method and visual method in determining the critical water content (P<0.001), and the results judged by conductivity is higher than that by eye-based water content. Therefore, this article firmly confirmed the shortcomings of visual method and suggested that the eye-base "critical water content" may falls into continuous ME stage during O/W MEs' formation. Further more, the CWCC method has theoretical feasibility and scientific meanings in determining the critical water content of O/W type MEs during formation.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparation, Hunan Province, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
authors.forename: Da-wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Tian-tian
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jin-fei
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Lan-lin
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-bo
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Da-xiong
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Xiang
mesh_terms: D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004655:Emulsions / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004655:Emulsions; D014867:Water