BEHAVIOR OF SURFACTANT MIXTURES AT SOLID/LIQUID AND OIL/LIQUID INTERFACES IN CHEMICAL FLOODING SYSTEMS

Abstract

The aim of the project is to develop and evaluate efficient novel surfactant mixtures for enhanced oil recovery. Surfactant loss by adsorption or precipitation depends to a great extent on the type of surfactant complexes and aggregates formed. Such information as well as techniques to generate the information is lacking currently particularly for surfactant mixtures and surfactant/polymer systems. A novel analytical centrifuge application is explored during the last period to generate information on structures-performance relationship for different surfactant aggregates in solution and, in turn, at interfaces. To use analytical untracentrifuge for surfactant mixtures, information on partial specific volumes of single surfactants and their mixtures is required. Towards this purpose, surface tension and density measurements were performed to determine critical micellar concentrations (cmc), partial specific volumes of n-dodecyl-{beta}-Dmaltoside (DM), nonyl phenol ethoxylated decyl ether (NP-10) and their 1:1 mixtures at 25 C. Durchschlag's theoretical calculation method was adopted to calculate the partial specific volumes. Effects of temperature and mixing, as well as methods used for estimation on micellization and partial specific volumes were studied during the current period. Surface tension results revealed no interaction between the two surfactants in mixed micelles. Partial specific volume measurements also indicated no interaction in mixed micelles. Maximum adsorption density, area per molecule and free energy of micellization were also calculated. Partial specific volumes were estimated by two experimental methods: d{sub {rho}}/dc and V{sub {sigma}}. The difference between the results of using the two methods is within 0.5% deviation. It was found that the partial specific volume is concentration dependent and sensitive to changes in temperature. The information generated in this study will be used for the study of surfactant aggregate mass distribution in mixed systems. Such information will in future be used to identify optimum surfactant.