The influence of the concentration conditions, solutions acidity, and electrolyte additions on the lyophilic properties of the surfactant-rich phases of polyethoxylated alkylphenols OP-7 and OP-10 formed at cloud point temperature were Studied. The lyophilic properties of surfactant-rich phases were determined by estimating of their effective hydration values and solvation free energy of methylene and carboxyl groups at cloud point extraction of aliphatic monocarboxylic acids. It was shown that the surfactant-rich phases formed from the dilute surfactant solutions have more hydrophobic properties than the phases formed from the high concentrated solutions. The possibility of changing the lyophilic properties of surfactant-rich phases by electrolyte additions was shown: complex formation between electrolyte cation and the polyoxyethylene chain of the surfactant increases the hydrophilic properties of the surfactant-rich phases. Calculations of the solvation free energy of methylene and carboxylic fragments of the aliphatic carboxylic acids at micellar extraction showed the uniqueness of the surfactant-rich phases which are able to energetically advantageously extract both hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules of substrates. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.