Soap gels in non-aqueous media. III. The setting time, syneresis, and gel-strength of gels of some sodium soaps in organic solvents

Abstract

The setting time, syneresis, and gel-strength of gels of sodium palmitate, sodium stearate, and sodium oleate in toluene, xylene, cymene, pinene, chlorobenzene, bromobenzene, p-chlorotoluene, n-amyl, n- and i-butyl, n- and i-propyl, and benzyl alcohols, o-cresol, glycerol, anisole, and phenetole, have been measured. 2. For gels in any given solvent the setting time and extent of syneresis decrease with different soaps in the order, NaOl>NaStr>NaP, and the gelstrength increases in the order, NaOl<NaStr<NaP. for solvents belonging to a homologous series the setting time and extent of syneresis of soap gels increase and the gel-strength decreases as the series is ascended. 3. An explanation for this behavior is offered in terms of the constitutive properties of the solvent molecules.