To understand the aggregation behavior of surface-active ligands with a salycilic polar head, we undertook a systematic study of some classes of anionic surfactants where the presence and the position of the -OH and the carboxylic group differ. This paper reports the dilution heats at 298 and 313 K of aqueous solutions of potassium 4-((alkylcarbonyl)amino)-2-hydroxybenzoate (KPAS-C-n where n stands for the number of carbon atoms in the chain) in KOH at 0.1 m, measured as a function of concentration. From the experimental data, apparent and partial molar enthalpies vs concentration were obtained. By using a pseudo-phase-transition approach, the enthalpy changes upon micelle formation (DeltaH(m)) and assuming that in the restricted range of temperature examined heat capacities are constant, the heat capacity changes have been obtained. Micelle formation enthalpies are seen to be additive with a group contribution for the methylene group of -1.5 +/- 0.1 kJ mol(-1) per group at 298 K and -2.3 +/- 0.1 kJ mol(-1) per group at 313 K, comparable with that obtained for similar anionic compounds in the same experimental conditions and for N-alkylnicotinamide chlorides (cationic surfactants). The -CH2- group contribution to the micelle formation heat capacities is -53 +/- 1 J K-1 mol(-1).