About Micelle - Chemists Corner

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About Micelle

Posted by Chirag on October 18, 2015 at 9:40 am

I have read about micelle and critical micelle concentration on wikipedia bur still unable to understand what actually is MICELLE.
Would someone please make me clear what micelle is ?
Thanks a lot

Chirag replied 9 years ago 6 Members · 8 Replies
8 Replies

belassi

Member
October 18, 2015 at 2:29 pm

Read the PDF book I posted about that.
thebrain

Member
October 20, 2015 at 1:42 pm

As a non-chemist, I got started here:

http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/search?q=micelle

HTH!
OldPerry

Member
November 2, 2015 at 3:15 pm

A micelle is a spherical structure created by the surfactant molecules in a aqueous surfactant solution. When surfactant molecules are put in water they arrange themselves so that the oil-loving portion of the molecules align. The lowest energy structure that can be created when this happens is a sphere with the oil-loving portions pointed towards the interior of the sphere while the water loving portion of the molecule points outward towards the water.

The Critical Micelle Concentration is just the concentration of surfactant needed to create these structures. As you can imagine a single molecule is not enough to create a micelle. Two or three molecules won’t work either.
Chirag

Member
November 8, 2015 at 11:52 am

Thanx perry and belassi and thebrain for solutions.. As far as i could understand is that formation of micelle is a positive thing to remove stains. Also there are some ingredients that reduce cmc and thus Improve the efficiency of surfactants ? Am i right sir ?
Hoping to get feedbacks.. Thanx again
Chemist77

Member
November 8, 2015 at 5:31 pm

The micelles will surround the dirt particle, strip it off from the fabric, surface or whatever it is being used for but then there is more to it like anti-redeposition agents and its a different story. If I am not wrong reduction of CMC denotes higher efficiency of surfactants meaning you would require less of it to reach there.
Mentors please correct me if I have erred.
chemicalmatt

Member
November 13, 2015 at 9:43 pm

You are correct 77. For further research, check out gemini surfactants, sometimes truncated to “gem surfactants”. These lower the CMC - big time - and give more bang for the buck. If you are formulating a stain remover though, Chirag, I’d strongly suggest the use of enzymes, at least one or two.
Chemist77

Member
November 14, 2015 at 3:17 am

Thanks @chemicalmatt, I am using few enzymes in my liquid laundry detergent and it helps a lot. I have recently formulated a clear bleach gel with 6% active peroxide, do you think I could use an enzyme here as well??? The pH is around 4.6
Chirag

Member
November 21, 2015 at 8:02 am

@Chemicalmatt thnx for your insight. I am manufacturing Detergent cake and i have Studied as Sodium metasillicate also Lowers CMC Thus improves the overall surfactant performance.. And also foaming. Am i right ? Please correct me.