title: Micellar phase boundaries under the influence of ethyl alcohol.
abstract: The Compton spectrum quenching technique is used to monitor the effect of ethyl alcohol (EtOH) additions on phase boundaries in two systems. In toluenic solutions of the nonionic surfactant, Triton X-100, EtOH shifts the boundary separating the first clear phase from the first turbid phase to higher water:surfactant ratios. In a commonly used scintillant, Ultima Gold AB, the critical micelle concentration is not shifted. The molecular interactions behind the observations and implications for liquid scintillation counting are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Physics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA. Electronic address: denis.bergeron@nist.gov.
authors.forename: Denis E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Bergeron
keywords: Cocktail; Critical micelle concentration; Ethanol; Liquid scintillation counting; Microemulsion; Reverse micelle