Dynamical dimer structure and liquid structure of fatty acids in their binary liquid mixture: decanoic/octadecanoic acid and decanoic/dodecanoic acid systems

Dimer structure and liquid structure of fatty acids in their binary mixtures such as decanoic acid (DA)/octadecanoic acid (SA) and DA/dodecanoic acid (LA) were studied through the measurements of self-diffusion coefficient (D), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), density and viscosity. The obtained phase diagrams showed that DA and SA form a eutectic in the solid state but partly a solid solution in the SA-rich region; DA and LA form an incongruent-melting compound which forms a eutectic with DA. In the liquid mixture of DA and SA, the D of DA is larger than that of SA over the entire range of compositions and tends to approach the D of SA with increasing SA-mole fraction; the D of DA in the DA/LA system is also larger than that of LA especially in the LA-poor region and steeply approaches that of LA with increasing LA-mole fraction. These D values and phase diagrams were compared with those for the binary mixtures of n-alkanes (C14/C20, C19/C20 and C20/C24); it is concluded that the two kinds of fatty acids always form their individual homodimers in their liquid mixtures regardless of their compositions and temperatures.