Application of Alcohols to Inhibit the Formation of Ca(II) Dodecyl Sulfate Precipitate in Aqueous Solutions

The presence of alkaline earth cations, in particular, Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions in brine, causes undesired effects in solutions containing anionic surfactants because of precipitate formation. In the present study, an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was investigated, focusing on the determination of various properties (surface tension, critical micelle concentration, micelle size, turbidity) in the presence of alcohols and, in particular, the inhibition of the precipitation of SDS with calcium ions. The calcium ions were added to the surfactant in increasing concentrations (3.0–10.0 g/L), and short-carbon-chain alcohols (methanol, ethanol, n-propanol and n-butanol) were used to shift the onset of precipitate formation. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of SDS in the presence of alcohols was also determined. It was established that among these alcohols, methanol and ethanol did not exert significant effects on the solubility of the Ca(DS)2 precipitate, while n-propanol and n-butanol were found to be much more efficient inhibitors. In addition, all the alcohols in the applied concentration range (up to 20 V/V%) were found to decrease the critical micelle concentration of SDS.