Aqueous solutions containing sodium lauryl ether sulphate (SLES) and cocamidopropyl Betaine (CAPB) with a constant total surfactant concentration (10 wt%) but different volume mixing ratios were prepared. A remarkable increase in the solutions’ viscosity at a volume mixing ratio of 34 v/v% SLES to 66 v/v% CAPB was observed. By increasing the volume ratio of SLES (r-value) in the binary mixture, the viscosity of 10 wt% SLES, which is close to that of water, increases to a maximum, but then drops down drastically at high r values (>45 v/v%). The maximum viscosity (V_max) is 2.8 Pas, whereas the minimum is 2 mPas. The rheological behavior at V_max has the remarkable feature of a simple Maxwell fluid over a large frequency range with one relaxation time. By adding a microemulsion (Plantasil Micro), the value of V_max decreases extremely, whereas adding cosurfactants like isodecyltrietheleneoxide (IT₃) or salts, like calcium chloride, leads to a pronounced increase in the value of V_max. At 0.76 wt% CaCl₂, V_max is 140 Pas and 150 Pas in the presence of 1 wt% IT₃. By increasing the SLES volume mixing ratio in the solution the maximum viscosity is shifted to higher CaCl₂ amounts. The increasing viscosity can be explained by a transformation of the micelle shape from spherical to rod-like. Whereas adding cosurfactants or salts leads to an increased entanglement between the rod-like micelles. Consequently, higher microemulsion amounts can be added before reaching the minimum viscosity.

Series of polymer nanocomposites films consisting of pretreated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (PT-MWCNTs) and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were prepared at room temperature. The MWCNTs were initially pretreated with 1.0 M sulfuric acid (PT-MWCNTs) and then allowed to disperse in aqueous solutions at different pH values (2–14). It was found that the dispersion of the PT-MWCNTs is a pH dependent. The best PT-MWCNTs dispersion was obtained at pH = 10. Films of PT-MWCNTs/PVA, at this optimum pH-value, were then prepared by casting technique at different PT-MWCNTs weight fractions. The resulted PT-MWCNTs/PVA films were characterized through the direct visualization, Fourier transform infrared, and morphology test. Besides, current–voltage and direct current electrical conductivity for PT-MWCNTs/PVA nanocomposites at 60°C showed that the conductivity mechanism was ohmic and the percolation threshold was around 0.8 wt% PT-MWCNTs. Optical results showed that PT-MWCNTs are homogeneously distributed in the neat PVA and optical gap is significantly decreased from 4.40 to 2.96 eV.

A comparison is made between synthetic and biosurfactants in terms of their origin, structure, physico-chemical properties, applications, production costs, toxicity, biodegradability and environmental impact. It is shown that the chemical structure of surfactants synthesised by living organisms is more complicated than that of those produced by classical methods. The reduction in water surface tension induced by synthetic and biosurfactants is almost the same. Due to their origin and structure, biosurfactants are preferred in medical, cosmetic and food applications, mainly because they are less toxic than synthetic surfactants. Synthetic surfactants require more time and special environmental conditions to start the biodegradation process compared to biosurfactants, which can easily start biodegradation under normal physical conditions. This mini-review highlights this new category of surfactants (biosurfactants). It also provides a comparison between synthetic and biosurfactants is provided using the available data reported in the literature.

The influence of surfactant synergism between sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and N,N-dimethyldodecan-1-amine Oxide (DDAO) on zinc corrosion in 0.05 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) solutions at 25 °C was investigated. Firstly, solutions of SDBS and DDAO with mole fractions of 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 were prepared and their surface tension and critical micelle concentration (CMC) values in water and in 0.05 M HCl were measured as a function of total surfactant concentration. The SDBS/DDAO mixed system exhibited a strong synergism in 0.05 M HCl with a highly negative interaction parameter β (average β = −23.46), according to regular solution theory. Secondly, the adsorption of single surfactants SDBS and DDAO and SDBS/DDAO surfactant mixture on 2.0% zinc powder was investigated by the depletion method to find out the role of synergism in the adsorption tendency of these surfactants on the zinc surface and thus their corrosion inhibiting effect. The adsorption tendency of single surfactant and the mixed surfactant systems onto 2.0% zinc powder followed the order: SDBS > 0.75 SDBS/0.25 DDAO ≈ 0.25 SDBS/0.75 DDAO > DDAO > 0.50 SDBS/0.50 DDAO. Finally, the corrosion of zinc was investigated using the potentiodynamic polarization technique. It was found that SDBS and DDAO act as efficient corrosion inhibitors for zinc in 0.05 M HCl solution with increasing corrosion inhibition efficiency when they are mixed. Additionally, images of scanning electron microscopy were obtained for zinc sheets in solutions containing single and mixed SDBS/DDAO surfactants in the presence and absence of 0.05 M HCl. The microscopic images show an improvement in the protection of the zinc surface against acid attack in the presence of single and mixed SDBS/DDAO surfactants.