Ice slurry has good application prospects owing to its good cold thermal energy storage capacity and flow heat transfer ability. In this study

soybean oil microemulsionswere prepared using the Shah method

where soybean oil was used as the oil phase

Tween80 and AEO-3 as surfactants

and amyl alcohol as a cosurfactant. The influence of the mass ratio of the oil phase to the surfactant

HLB value of the surfactant

and mass ratio of surfactant to cosurfactant (Km value) on the water increase in the microemulsion was investigated experimentally. The optimum ratio of the microemulsion was obtained

where the mass ratio of the oil phase to surfactant

the mass ratio of Tween80 to AEO-3

and the Km valuewere 1:4

6:4 (HLB value 11.6)

and 2:1

respectively. The properties and structure of the microemulsions were analyzed in terms of particle size

electrical conductivity

and stability. Ice slurry was prepared using the microemulsion. The ice storage rate

apparent viscosity

and cycle stability of the ice slurry prepared using the microemulsion were tested and analyzed. The experimental results show that the soybean oil microemulsion with 50% water content isa W/O microemulsion with good stability. The prepared microemulsion ice slurry exhibitsa good ice storage rate and fluidity.