Oil/water Interfacial Tension of Shengli Petroleum Sulfonate/α-Olefin or Polyethyleneoxy Ether Sulfonate Binary Systeme

Abstract

Abstract As one important parameter for selecting surfactant used in chemistry flooding, here the interfacial tension (IFT) between crude oil and single surfactants Shengli petroleum sulfonate (SHL-PS), α-olefin sulfonate (C14/16AOS), fatty alcohol polyethyleneoxy ether sulfonate (CnEmSO) or their mixture using mimic Shengli brine water as solvent were investigated using spinning drop technology. The results showed: Through C18E3SO has a small ultra-low IFT window, it is more practical and efficient to obtain ultra-low IFT by mixing two or more surfactants other than using single surfactant; the length of hydrophobic tail plays a more important role than oxyethylene group number on the IFT for CnEmSO/SHL-PS; at mass ratio 1:19, both C14/16AOS/SHL-PS and C18EmSO/SHL-PS systems can lower the IFT to below 10−2 mN/m, but their mechanisms may be not same.