The present study is concerned with the determination of the critical micelle
concentration (cmc) of mixed micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate with one of
five nonionic surfactants (Triton X-100, Tween 20, Tween 60, Tween 80 or
Tween 85) from conductance measurements. Based on the calculated values of
the ? parameters we have noticed that SDS-nonionic surfactants mostly showed
strong synergistic effect. It was found that nonionic surfactants with
mainly longer and more hydrophobic tail show stronger interactions with
hydrophobic part of SDS, thus expressing stronger synergism. In SDS-Tween 80
binary system the strongest synergistic effect was noticed. SDS-Tween 85
micellar system showed antagonistic effect, most probably because the
presence of the double bond in its three hydrophobic tails (three C18 tails)
makes it sterically rigid.