title: Formation Kinetics of Oil-Rich, Nonionic Microemulsions.
abstract: The formation kinetics of oil-rich, nonionic microemulsions were investigated along different mixing pathways using a fast stopped-flow device in combination with the new high-flux small-angle neutron spectrometer D33 (ILL, Grenoble, France). While the kinetics along most pathways were too fast to be resolved, two processes could be detected mixing brine and the binary cyclohexane/C10E5 solution. Here, too, the formation of large water-in-oil droplets was found to be faster than 20 ms and therewith faster than the accessible dead time. However, subsequently, both the disintegration of the large water-in-oil droplets (600 Å) and the uptake of water by swollen micelles (50-60 Å) could be resolved. Both processes occur on the time scale of a second. Strikingly, the total internal interface forms faster than 20 ms and does not change over time.
authors.affiliation: Physikalische Chemie, Department Chemie, Universität zu Köln , Luxemburger Straße 116, 50939 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Helge F M
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Klemmer
authors.affiliation: Physikalische Chemie, Department Chemie, Universität zu Köln , Luxemburger Straße 116, 50939 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harbauer
authors.affiliation: Physikalische Chemie, Department Chemie, Universität zu Köln , Luxemburger Straße 116, 50939 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Strey
authors.affiliation: Institut Laue-Langevin, CS 20156, 38042, Grenoble, Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grillo
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Stuttgart , Pfaffenwaldring 55, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sottmann