Surface properties of linear alkyl benzene sulfonates in hard river water

Surface properties of a series of highly purified linear alkyl benzene sulfonates were extensively studied in hard river water. The effects of water hardness, alkyl chain length and position of the phenyl sulfonate group in the molecule on such surface properties as pC₂₀, critical micelle concentration (CMC), γ_CMC, CMC/C₂₀ ratio, and minimum area per molecule at the interface are discussed in detail. The position of phenyl sulfonate group in the molecule was found to have a pronounced effect on the CMC, γ_CMC value, CMC/C₂₀ ratio, and, to the contrary, a relatively small effect on the pC₂₀ value. The linear relationship between pC₂₀ or-log CMC, and m, the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, was found for surfactants with the phenyl sulfonate group either at the terminal position or at the more central position in the molecule. γ_CMC decreases but the CMC value increases, when the position of phenyl sulfonate group moves from the terminal toward a more central position of the molecule, reflecting the “Hartley Effect” resulting from the branched alkyl chain.