What is the optimal surfactant concentration to use in a cleaning formulation? Here we show how the cleaning efficiency as a function of detergent concentration can be assessed within an hour.
Unconventional oils, such as heavy oil, extra heavy oil, and bitumen, normally exist tightly on host solids such as rocks, sands and clay minerals. Successful liberation of unconventional oil from solids is essential for effective recovery.
Polymer brushes, polyelectrolyte multilayers and hydrogels are typically used to achieve desirable properties. Key parameters influencing these properties are layer conformation and the degree of hydration. Here we show a straightforward way to measure polymer brush swelling and collapse.