Rheological behavior of polyacrylamide solution in the presence of cationic Gemini surfactants/conventional surfactants

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, the rheological behavior of polyacrylamide solutions in the absence and presence of cationic Gemini surfactants (16‐s‐16, s = 5, 6) and their monomeric counterpart, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, at different temperatures has been studied in the light of its application field by rheometry. The polyacrylamide solution shows the shear thinning behavior at a very low shear rate in the absence and presence of surfactants, and the Ostwald de model was used to describe the pseudoplastic behavior of polyacrylamide solution. The viscosity of polyacrylamide solution increases with the addition of surfactants, and the increase in viscosity is quite significant with Gemini surfactant as compared with their monomeric counterpart cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, indicating stronger interaction of polyacrylamide with Geminis. Further, transmission electron microscope results support the viscosity data. The results obtained are quite interesting and could be of prolific use for selection of polymer–surfactant mixtures and surfactants for use in enhance oil recovery. © 2017 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.