Abstract
The rate of the hydrolysis of sodium sulfoalkyl alkanoate homologues CnH2n+1COO (CH2) m SO3Na (n=9 and 11 : m=2, 3 and 4) in an alkaline aqueous solution was measured at various temperatures, and the influence of molecular structure of the surfactants on the hydrolysis was investigated. A summary of the results is as follows :
1) The reaction of the hydrolysis of these surfactants at various temperatures was found as second order with respect to the surfactant concentration.
2) With the given initial concentration of the surfactant solutions, the rate constant of hydrolysis decreased with the critical micelle concentration (cmc) values of the surfactants.
3) The effect of the initial concentration on the hydrolysis of the surfactant was found like that the rate of hydrolysis for the concentration below the cmc was higher than that above the cmc.
4) The apparent energy of activation was calculated from the rate constants of hydrolysis at various temperatures. On comparison of two solutions of the same surfactant, the energy of activation for the concentration above the cmc was higher than that for the concentration below the cmc.
