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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/R42160/01
Title: Characterisation of surfactant mesophases in multi-phase surfactant specific electrodes
Principal Investigator: Ford, Professor R
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Inst for Materials Research
Organisation: University of Salford
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 October 2001 Ends: 31 March 2005 Value (£): 132,266
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Electrochemical Science & Eng. Surfaces & Interfaces
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Chemicals No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
GR/R41965/01
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The basic surface active components of most detergent products (and many others) are ionic and non-ionic surfactants. A considerable number of products are present as multi-phase systems although their producers have little knowledge of the detailed product structure despite its dominant influence on usage. Market pressures mean that the number of possible blends from the increasing variety of surfactants is now so large that formulation based on pure empiricism is not a feasible option. We wish to investigate novel surfactant selctive electrode for the characterisation of surfactant mesophases (lamellar, gel, normal and reversed hexagonal and cubic) present in multi-phase systems containing both pure and mixed surfactants, and test the applicability of existing micellar thermodynamic theories to these systems. This will include investigations of electrode behaviour in viscous phases, and in the semi-solid LP phase where slow kinetic effects are expected. We will also investigate the lower concentratic limit to which the electrodes can be used (<10-7 mol. dm-3) since few methods are currently available. Such studies should provide guidelines to pi the compositions of these phases in multi-component products and also provide fundamental information of the properties of the phases themselve The experience gained in surfactant specific electrodes will be applied to construct electrodes specific to other specialist additives of Industrial interests
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Organisation Website: http://www.salford.ac.uk