Abstract: Fluids viscosified with viscoelastic surfactants (VESs) may have their viscosities affected (increased or reduced, e.g. gels broken) by the indirect or direct action of a composition that contains at least one fatty acid that has been affected, modified or reacted with an alkali metal base, an alkali earth metal base, ammonium base, and/or organic base compound, optionally with an alkali metal halide salt, an alkali earth metal halide salt, and/or an ammonium halide salt. The composition containing the resulting saponification product is believed to either act as a co-surfactant with the VES itself to increase viscosity and/or possibly by disaggregating or otherwise affecting the micellar structure of the VES-gelled fluid. In a specific, non-limiting instance, a brine fluid gelled with an amine oxide surfactant may have its viscosity broken with a composition containing naturally-occurring fatty acids in canola oil or corn oil affected with CaOH, MgOH, NaOH and the like.

Abstract: A method of slurrifying oil contaminated materials by introducing a microemulsion or microemulsion-forming surfactant(s) to the material and subjecting the mixture to suitable shear or mixing forces to suitably blend such mixtures. The method may be applied directly to wastes such as waste drill mud cuttings and muds, emulsions, sludges, or soil substrates contaminated with water and/or oil drilling fluids in order to both reduce the viscosity and improve the lubricity, wetting, and flow properties of the substrate.

Abstract: Fluids viscosified with viscoelastic surfactants (VESs) may have their viscosities affected (increased or reduced, e.g. gels broken) by the indirect or direct action of a composition that contains at least one fatty acid that has been affected, modified or reacted with an alkali metal base, an alkali earth metal base, ammonium base, and/or organic base compound, optionally with an alkali metal halide salt, an alkali earth metal halide salt, and/or an ammonium halide salt. The composition containing the resulting saponification product is believed to either act as a co-surfactant with the VES itself to increase viscosity and/or possibly by disaggregating or otherwise affecting the micellar structure of the VES-gelled fluid. In a specific, non-limiting instance, a brine fluid gelled with an amine oxide surfactant may have its viscosity broken with a composition containing naturally-occurring fatty acids in canola oil or corn oil affected with CaOH, MgOH, NaOH and the like.

Abstract: A water-insoluble liquid crystalline gel composed mainly of a water-soluble polymer, itself having a gelation function together with a liquid crystal formation function and having an optical property is produced. First, the water-soluble polymer is dissolved in water or an aqueous solution containing a salt(s) to prepare a polymer solution. Subsequently, this polymer solution is dialyzed in an aqueous solution containing a chemical crosslinking agent, thereby obtaining the gel having a liquid crystal structure and composed mainly of the water-soluble polymer. Said water soluble polymer is one or two or more polymers selected from the group consisting of water-soluble biopolymers, derivatives of these water-soluble biopolymers and water-soluble synthesized polymers. The water-soluble biopolymers are one or two or more polymers selected from the group consisting of nucleic acids, polysaccharides, proteins, modified proteins and polyamino acids.

Abstract: Fluids viscosified with viscoelastic surfactants (VESs) may have their viscosities affected (increased or reduced) by the indirect or direct action of a composition that contains at least one fatty acid that has been affected, modified or reacted with an alkali metal halide salt, an alkaline earth metal halide salt, and/or an ammonium salt and a water soluble base. The composition containing the resulting saponification product is believed to either act as a co-surfactant with the VES itself to increase viscosity and/or possibly by disaggregating or otherwise affecting the micellar structure of the VES-gelled fluid. In a non-limiting instance, a brine fluid gelled with an amine oxide surfactant has its viscosity broken with a composition containing naturally-occurring fatty acids in canola oil reacted with a water soluble base such as NaOH, KOH, NH4OH, and the like with an alkali halide salt such as CaCl2, MgCl2, NaCl, NH4Cl and the like.

Abstract: Fluids viscosified with viscoelastic surfactants (VESs) may have their viscosities affected (increased or reduced, e.g. gels broken) by the indirect or direct action of a composition that contains at least one fatty acid that has been affected, modified or reacted with an alkali metal base, an alkali earth metal base, ammonium base, and/or organic base compound, optionally with an alkali metal halide salt, an alkali earth metal halide salt, and/or an ammonium halide salt. The composition containing the resulting saponification product is believed to either act as a co-surfactant with the VES itself to increase viscosity and/or possibly by disaggregating or otherwise affecting the micellar structure of the VES-gelled fluid. In a specific, non-limiting instance, a brine fluid gelled with an amine oxide surfactant may have its viscosity broken with a composition containing naturally-occurring fatty acids in canola oil or corn oil affected with CaOH, MgOH, NaOH and the like.

Abstract: A process of producing a highly stable liquid crystal emulsion composition with improved qualities, in which a conventional complicated and costly process that requires specific equipment is streamlined into a simple and less costly process. A method of producing a liquid crystal emulsion composition having liquid crystal structure, comprising the steps of admixing 3 to 8 parts by weight of a hydrophilic surfactant which is a polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene alkyl ether having an HLB of 10 to 20 with 2 to 6 parts by weight of a lipophilic surfactant; admixing 5 to 10 parts by weight of the resulting admixture with 5 to 30 parts by weight of an oil component; admixing the obtained admixture with a mixture of 40 to 80 parts by weight of a water-soluble polyvalent alcohol and 8 to 40 parts by weight of water; and heating, homogeneously mixing and then cooling the thus obtained admixture.

Abstract: A molecular-oriented polymer gel and its cast film obtained by self-assembly of a self-organizable amphiphilic compound and a monomer interacting with the amphiphilic compound, and then polymerizing the monomer, and their production methods.

Abstract: A stable complex oil-in-water emulsion which is useful in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical or food fields. The stable complex oil-in-water emulsion is formed by the mixing of individual oil-in-water emulsions, each individual emulsion being obtained from an air/water pre-emulsion of a preferably-nonionic surfactant; a cosurfactant selected from hydrophilic compounds, preferably with at least one hydroxyl group selected from polyols; and an aqueous phase. A method of preparing a stable complex oil-in-water emulsion whereby individual oil-in-water emulsions, chosen for properties desired in the stable complex oil-in-water emulsion, are optionally diluted and mixed without exerting a shear force.

Abstract: A process for producing an emulsion, including adding a mixture (1) comprising a water-soluble inorganic salt (a) and/or an aqueous solution containing (a) to a mixture (2) containing a surfactant (b), a surfactant-emulsifying agent (c) for emulsifying the surfactant (b), and a hydrophilic powder (d), and mixing mixtures (1) and (2) to emulsify the surfactant (b), wherein water-soluble inorganic salt (a) may be a carbonate, surfactant (b) may be an anionic surfactant and/or a nonionic surfactant, surfactant-emulsifying agent (c) may be a water-soluble polymer, and hydrophilic powder (d) may be an inorganic chelating agent.

Abstract: A storage-stable aqueous miniemulsion whose disperse phase comprises a cholesteric mixture is prepared and is used for coating and printing on suitable substrates.

Abstract: A liquid crystalline gel composition including a liquid crystalline compound, and a gelling agent having a structural unit represented by the following formula (1): wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or an organic group having at least one carbon atom, X represents a divalent organic group having at least one carbon atom, Y represents a divalent hydrocarbon group having at least one carbon atom, R2 represents a hydrogen atom or an organic group having at least one carbon atom, and n is an integer of at least 1. A display medium including a pair of substrates each having an electrode thereon, and a layer of the above liquid crystalline gel composition interposed between the pair of substrates.

Abstract: A substantially colorless and optically anisotropic material is obtained from substantially colorless and optically anisotropic micelles. The micelles are oriented in a definite direction. The optically anisotropic material is usable in optical films and polarization elements.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid crystal composition by which the state of molecular orientation of a liquid crystalline compound can be stably maintained even when no electric field is caused to effect on, and moreover the state of molecular orientation of the liquid crystalline compound can be changed, and a liquid crystal display device and a liquid crystal displaying method by which a displayed state can be stably retained even after the action of an electric field is ceased, and moreover the displayed state can be dissolved with ease. The liquid crystal composition contains a liquid crystalline compound and a liquid crystal orientation state-regulating agent for regulating the orientated state of the liquid crystalline compound by gelling, wherein a phase transition temperature between an isotropic liquid phase and a liquid crystal phase in the liquid crystalline compound is higher than a gelling temperature by the liquid crystal orientation state-regulating agent.

Abstract: A hydrogel formed by adding an anion having a molecular weight of 90 or more to an aqueous dispersion of a cationic amphiphile comprising a linear or branched alkyl group having 10 or less carbon atoms in a hydrophobic moiety. The hydrogel has a network having a bilayer-membrane, nano-fiber structure and undergoes a reversible gel-sol transformation.

Abstract: This invention comprises dispersion comprising a solvent having dispersed therein a liquid-crystal forming dye of structural Formula I: [D-(X)m]-(Y)n wherein: D is a light-absorbing chromophore other than a cyanine dye or a barbituric acid oxonol dye; each Y contains an ionic or a nonionic solubilizing substituent or a group with a pKa value of less than 4 in water; each X is a nonionic substituent; n is 0 to 10; m is 0-10; and the resulting dye forms a liquid-crystalline phase in solvent. The dispersion is particularly useful in imaging and photographic elements.

Abstract: Aqueous-alcoholic solutions of hydrogenated coconut or palm kernel oil alkylamidopropylbetaines with a betaine content of greater than 50%, which are fluid, stable and pumpable are described as occupying a well-defined zone of their betaine/water/ethanol ternary diagram. They are prepared by synthesis and quaternization of the amidoamine directly in the solvent medium in which they are defined.

Abstract: The composition disclosed herein comprises about 55 to about 90 weight percent of a monoglyceride component comprising a monoglyceride having an acyl chain of 12 to 22 carbons, about 5 to about 35 weight percent of an acetylated monoglyceride component comprising an acetylated monoglyceride having an acyl chain of 12 to 22 carbons, and about 2 to about 40 weight percent water. The present composition is a liquid crystalline phase composition at a temperature of about 20 to about 80° C., preferably a cubic liquid crystalline gel.

Abstract: A pourable concentrate suitable for forming structured surfactant drilling muds on dilution with aqueous electrolyte comprises: a) from 30 to 80% by weight, based on the weight of the composition, of surfactant consisting of at least 25%, based on the weight of the surfactant, of an anionic surfactant, from 0 to 70% by weight, based on the total weight of surfactant, of an alkanolamide, and from 0 to 20% based on the total weight of surfactant, of other non-ionic surfactant and/or amphoteric surfactants; b) from 3 to 60% by weight of the composition of a compound of the formula RHX where R is hydrogen or a C1-6 alkyl group and X is a random or block copolymeric chain comprising a total of from 3 to 20 ethoxy and propoxy units in a relative numerical proportion of 0 to 10:1; and c) up to 65% by weight of water.

Abstract: The stable multiple emulsion of the X/O/Y type contains at least one X/O phase in which X is an oil-immiscible component and O an oil phase. The X/O phase can contains an active substance, possibly in solid form, for example for medical, cosmetic or technical applications. The Y phase can be an aqueous phase, an aqueous liquid, preferably liquid-crystalline, gel or a W/O/W emulsion and serves as carrier for the at least one X/O phase. The X/O phase is produced using an emulsifier that has an HLB value equal to or less than 6 and/or is a W/O emulsifier. The preparation of the X/O phase itself and its diffusion in the Y phase are done with standard stirring tools. The drops of the X/O phase have long-term stability and, even when greatly diluted, do not interact with the Y phase or the drops or other X/O phases dispersed therein.

Abstract: A free-flowing pearlescer concentrate is presented which is composed of: (a) 5 to 50% by weight of a pearlescing component which is (1) a compound of formula R.sup.3 --(OC.sub.n H.sub.2n).sub.x --OR.sup.4 where R.sup.3 is a fatty acyl group having 14 to 22 carbon atoms, R.sup.4 is hydrogen or linear fatty acyl group having 14 to 22 carbon atoms, n is 2 or 3, and x is 1; (2) a compound of formula R.sub.5 --CO--NH--X, where R.sup.5 is an alkyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms and X is selected from the group --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --OH, --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --OH, and --C(CH.sub.3).sub.2 --OH; and a linear saturated fatty acid having 12 to 14 carbon atoms; (b) 5 to 55% by weight of a fatty acid-N-alkyl polyhydroxyalkylamide nonionic emulsifier of the formula ##STR1## as the sole emulsifier, where R.sup.1 --CO is an aliphatic acyl group having 6 to 22 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 is an alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and R.sup.

Abstract: A liquid crystal gel containing liquid crystal molecules and a gelling agent. The liquid crystal gel exhibits substantially no fluidity. Also provided are a gelling agent, particularly, 1,2-bis-(11-(4-cyanobiphenyl-4'-oxo)undecylcarbonylamino)cyclohexane, which is capable of easily producing the liquid crystal gel; a liquid crystal device made from the liquid crystal gel with substantially no fluidity; and a process for fabricating a liquid crystal device capable of providing this liquid crystal device rapidly in a simple manner.

Abstract: A composition in the form a dispersion for cosmetic, dermatological or pharmaceutical use containing: (a) 60 to 98% by weight of an aqueous phase and (b) 2 to 40% by weight of an oily phase dispersed in the aqueous phase, said oily phase being dispersed and stabilized by using cubic gel particles, said particles being essentially formed of: ( ) 0.1 to 15% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition of at least one unsaturated fatty acid monoglyceride having a C.sub.16 -C.sub.22 unsaturated fatty chain in a mixture with phytanetriol, and 0.05 to 3% by weight relative to the total weight of the composition of a dispersing and stabilizing agent, said agent being a surface active substance, water-soluble at room temperature, containing a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, fatty chain having 8 to 22 carbon atoms. Also claimed are methods of making said compositions.