Critical Surface Tension Research Articles

Water repellency of soils on unpaved roads in coniferous forests

Forest roads play a crucial role in commercial forestry. Most of them are unpaved and exposed to increased surface runoff and the occurrence of soil erosion. Therefore, these roads constantly require repairs and maintenance, which are associated with the high cost of earthworks. Soil water repellency causes retardation of water infiltration into soil, which affects the generation of surface runoff, leading to the destruction of the active road layer. This phenomenon is well recognized in forest habitat soils, but poorly investigated in terms of soils constituting roads and communication routes. Therefore, the aims of this research were to determine the severity and persistence of potential water repellency in the case of soil collected from two unpaved roads in coniferous forest and to investigate the dependence between the severity of soil water repellency and its persistence. Soil samples (Dystric Brunic Arenosols) were collected from three points of the roadway, i.e., centre line, rut and roadside, from two different sites located in fresh coniferous and fresh mixed coniferous forest (Poland). The severity of soil water repellency was assessed, based on measured values of the wetting contact angle (Wilhelmy plate method) and the critical and 90° surface tensions. For this purpose, contact angle measurements of the solid phase, wetted by water–ethanol mixtures, were used and data results were analysed using the Zisman approach. The persistence of potential soil water repellency was assessed using the water drop penetration time test. The severity and persistence of soil water repellency depend on the forest habitat type surrounding the road and point locations on the road cross section. The soil samples collected from the roadside were more water repellent than samples taken from the centre line or rut. A strong relationship was found between the water drop penetration time and the advancing contact angle, the critical surface tension and the 90° surface tension.

Roughness and wettability of aligner materials.

The characterisation of surface roughness and energy of contemporary thermoplastic materials used in manufacturing of orthodontic aligners. In vitro, laboratory study. Four commercially available thermoplastic materials were selected (CA-medium/CAM, Essix-copopyester/COP, Duran/DUR and Erkodur/ERK). Five disks from each, as received, material were tested and subjected to: (1) reflected light microscopy; (2) optical profilometry for the estimation of Sa, Sz, Sq, Sdr, Sc, Sv surface roughness parameters (n = 5); and (3) contact angle measurements with a Zisman series of liquids for the estimation of critical surface tension (γC), total work of adhesion (WA), as well as the work of adhesion due to polar (WP) and dispersion (WD) components employing the Zisman method (n = 5/liquid). Thermoformed disks were prepared against a dental stone model and the roughness parameters were calculated again Statistical analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA/ Tukey multiple comparison test and t-test (a = 0.05). Microscopic and profilometric analyses revealed a smooth surface texture in the as-received materials, but a very rough texture after thermoforming, with insignificant differences within each state. Significant differences in the as-received state were found in the surface energy parameters; CAM showed the lowest γC and the highest WA, WP, WD, whereas ERK with the highest γC demonstrated lower WA. COP and DUR were ranked in an intermediate group regarding γC, with a statistically significant difference in WA between them, mainly attributed to the lower WP of the former. Given the differences in surface energy parameters and the lack of roughness differences within the as received or thermoformed groups, it may be concluded that variations in the plaque retaining capacity are anticipated, determined by γC, WA and the WP, WD components.

Influence of the surface tension of wet massing liquid on the functionality of microcrystalline cellulose as pelletization aid

This study designed to investigate the impact of surface tension of moistening liquid on the functionality of MCC as pelletization aid. For this purpose, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), poloxamer 188 (PL), di-potassium hydrogen phosphate (K2HPO4) and combinations thereof were incorporated into the powder blend comprised of MCC and dicalcium phosphate (DCP) at different levels. Physical mixture (PM) and co-processed composite (Cop) of MCC and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) replaced MCC as pelletization aids. The pellets prepared were characterized for their median diameter (D50), particle size distribution (PSD), sphericity, porosity, tensile strength and disintegration. SDS induced a drop in the surface tension of water from 68.7 to 23.7 mN/m at 0.1% (w/w). In contrast, the surface tension values of PL and K2HPO4 solutions were 2.08- and 3.07-fold higher than that of SDS solutions, respectively. MCC based pellets obtained with SDS showed wider PSD and lower sphericity than those made with PL, K2HPO4 and their combinations. In addition, the PSD and porosity increased with rise of SDS concentration from 0.05 to 0.25% (w/w). It was thus inferred that a critical surface tension of moistening liquid was essential for functionality of MCC as pelletization aid but not for PM and Cop.

The effect of the glucose-based surfactant on surface/interfacial and foam ability properties

An eco-friendly glucose-based cationic nonionic surfactant (GDBB) was successfully synthesized by glucosum anhydrous, dodecyl amine and bromoethane. The structure of the GDBB was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FT-IR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). Its adsorption morphology on surface was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Compared with the dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (DTAB), the GDBB exhibited lower critical micelle concentration (cmc ≈ 5 × 10−4mol/L) and surface tension (γcmc ≈ 24.2 mN/m), and it could reduce the oil/water IFT to 10−3 mN/m at 0.3% concentration for Dagang oil. Moreover, Based on the research of the foam half-life (t1/2) and the microscope of foam structure, we found that the GDBB had good foam stability. The oil displacement experiment indicated that the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) was 13.6% by using GDBB while 9.3% by using DTAB.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Short Fluorocarbon Chain Cationic Surfactant

AbstractA novel short fluorocarbon chain cationic surfactant has been synthesized to reduce the bioaccumulation of traditional fluorocarbon surfactants and maintain excellent surface properties simultaneously. The structure, surface activity, and micelle formation of surfactants have been investigated by surface tension, conductivity, dynamic light scattering, steady‐state fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Nuclear magnetic resonance. The novel surfactant (yield more than 81%) exhibited good surface activity, the critical micelle concentration and surface tension were below 2.35 mmol L−1 and 20.54 mN m−1 in the range of temperature from 288 to 303 K, respectively. The surface tension decreased to 17.45 mN m−1 with an increase in temperature. The thermodynamic parameters (, and ) of micellization for surfactants were evaluated, which implying the micellization process was contributed primarily by the entropy driving. In addition, the aggregation behavior of surfactants was also studied in detail, which demonstrated a small micelle aggregation number of 9.40 and large size distribution of 164–342 nm.

수중 부유물질의 임계 표면 장력에 따른 부유 선별 처리 특성에 관한 기초 연구

Flotation has been used to separate suspended solids from aqueous environments in that it requires low installation cost and little space to perform an action, and can be automated easily. The surface features of the suspended solids have a large influence on the performance of flotation, and it is important to probe the relationship between surface features and their floating behavior in order to perform flotation effectively, which is the purpose of this research. In this work, the contact angle of subjects in the form of a sessile drop was measured to derive a Zisman plot and critical surface tension. The samples which are expected to be prevalent in aqueous systems were collected and divided into three different categories. The organic compounds including plastics (polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, polyvinyl carbonate, and polystyrene) showed high critical surface tension, and it was therefore concluded that they could be easily separated from water using the flotation method. On the contrary, the inorganic compounds such as metals (stainless steel and aluminum) and minerals (glass and pyrite) were determined to be hydrophilic, which suggested the necessity to perform a pre-treatment on these compounds to adjust the hydrophilicity of the materials. In conclusion, this research was performed to determine the colloidal state of particles and the expected risks when these particles are dispersed in aqueous environments in terms of the critical surface tension. These findings could provide a basis for further research to enhance the flotation process by determining a way to collect samples in the same conditions such as roughness, flatness, and production method.

Synthesis of polymer-surfactants by gamma irradiation for removal nickel ions from aqueous solution

Two amphoteric surfactants 2-((3-carboxyacryloxy)oxy)-3-(hexadecyloxy)-N,N,N-trimethylpropane-1-ammonium chloride and N-(2-(carboxylatomethoxy)-3-(hexadecyloxypropyl)dimethyl glycinate were synthesized and characterized by different techniques. Then, two polymer surfactants were prepared from the reaction of acrylic acid and acrylamide with two amphoteric surfactants by gamma irradiation. The functional and bond structure of these polymer surfactant compounds were established by FT-IR. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) and surface tensions were measured and the values lie in the range 0.0005 - 0.00141 mol L-1. The swelling of the two polymer surfactants was studied. The swelling percentages of the two surfactants are 1790 and 1492 %, respectively. The copolymers hydrogel were used in removal of heavy metal from waste water. The factors affecting the removal of heavy metal as contact time, initial concentration of metal ion, and temperature were investigated. It was found that the percentage of removal of nickel ion increases with increasing the time and temperature.

Syntheses of naphthyl-based quaternary ammonium surfactants and their catalytic properties in chloromethylation of naphthalene

Two naphthyl-based quaternary ammonium surfactants Naph-GS and Naph-MS were synthesized by reaction of bis(chloromethyl)naphthalene and chloromethyl naphthalene with N, N-dimethyl long-chain alkyl tertiary amine. The purified products were characterized by FT-IR and ESI-HRMS. The critical micelle concentration and surface tension (γCMC) at the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of Naph-MS and Naph-GS are 3.70 mmol/L, 27.90 mN/m; 0.89 mmol/L and 31.60 mN/m, respectively. The CMC of Naph-MS is about four times higher than that of Naph-GS. The sizes of most micelles of Naph-MS and Naph-GS aqueous solution at 1.1 CMC are both <1 nm. While at the concentration of 11 CMC, most of the Naph-MS, the Naph-GS micelles aggregate forming particles with an average size of 1.2 nm and 10 nm, respectively. The Naph-MS and Naph-GS were used to promote the chloromethylation reaction of naphthalene. The conversion of naphthalene was 77% when the reaction was catalyzed by Naph-MS (2.5 mol% of naphthalene at 48 mmol/L) at mole ratio of naphthalene/paraformaldehyde/NaCl/H2SO4 being 1.0:1.0:1.7:6.3 at 70 °C for 12 h. At the same condition, the conversion of naphthalene was 82% when the reaction was promoted by Naph-GS (0.53 mol% of naphthalene at 10 mmol/L). When the mole ratio of naphthalene/paraformaldehyde was increased to 1.25, the conversion of naphthalene increased to 90%, and the positioning selectivity (1-chloromethyl to 2-chloromethyl) is 94.8%. The gemini surfactant Naph-GS has better catalytic performance than conventional Naph-MS in the chloromethylation of naphthalene. The inorganic aqueous solution can be recycled by simple separation, and the conversion of naphthalene can still remain at 85% after 5 cycles.

Micellization, surface activities and thermodynamics study of dialkylpyridinium [C16pymCn][Br] (n = 1–4) in aqueous solutions

The pyridinium-base ionic liquids surfactants: N-hexadecyl-3-alkylpyridinium bromide [C16pymCn][Br] (n: the carbon numbers of short alkyl side chain, n = 1, 2, 3, 4) were synthesized and characterized by NMR(1H, 13C) and FTIR. The thermal properties of the [C16pymCn][Br] showed a same transition from a crystalline phase to a thermotropic liquid-crystalline phase and then to an isotropic liquid phase, and were thermally stable in the desired temperature range. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) values and surface tension of [C16pymCn][Br] gradually decreases with the increasing length of the side chain from 1 to 4. The temperature dependence of CMC shows typical U-shaped. The surface chemical parameters of all the synthesized surfactants showed moderate surface activity. The calculated thermodynamic parameters showed that the micellization processes of [C16pymCn][Br] are spontaneous, endothermic at low temperatures and exothermic at high temperatures. For the micellization process of [C16pymCn][Br] (n = 1–3) were entropy-driven in the investigated temperature range. The micellization process of [C16pymC4][Br] changes from entropy-driven to enthalpy-driven at high temperature. The standard heat capacity were further discussed. It can be concluded that propyl- and butyl-chain of meta-position can be folded and thus at least partially removed from contact with water.

Estimating critical surface tension from droplet spreading area

Critical surface tension (CST) is a measure of solid surface tension and is mainly determined by measuring the contact angle of a droplet on a target solid surface. The concept of CST makes it possible to determine solid surface tension without any unprovable assumptions such as the Fowkes hypothesis. However, it requires somewhat special devices and skills for measuring the contact angle. In this work, we propose a simple method to determine the CST of a solid by measuring the droplet spreading area. This method is developed by combining the conventional CST with a simple analytical droplet model. The difference in estimated CSTs between our method and the conventional one is within 3.0%. Our method enables a quick and simple evaluation of the solid surface tension without special devices for measuring the contact angle.

Numerical simulation of red blood cells deformation in microchannel under zero-net-mass-flux jet

With advantages in biosafety and efficiency, gene delivery based on mechanical approaches has received more and more attention in academic research. In the present paper, a method based on zero-net-mass-flux jet is proposed to apply fluid shear to the moving cells in the microchannel, which causes cell to deform, and then open its mechano-sensitive channel on the cell membrane. This novel method is verified theoretically by numerical simulation in this study. In this paper, an immersed finite element method is utilized to numerically simulate the deformation of red blood cells subjected to zero-net-mass-flux jet during the movement of red blood cells in microchannel, aiming at investigating how to efficiently introduce small molecules into cells. The important parameters of numerical simulation are pressure gradient Δ&lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; along the microchannel, the amplitude &lt;i&gt;A&lt;sub&gt;m&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt; and frequency &lt;i&gt;f&lt;/i&gt; of the zero-net-mass-flux jet. Through the analysis of the characteristic of flow field and the stress on the red blood cells, we find that when cell surface tension &lt;i&gt;T&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;0&lt;/sub&gt; is greater than critical surface tension &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;τ&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; &lt;sub&gt;c&lt;/sub&gt;, the gating of cell surface mechano-sensitive channel will occur, and the percentage of gating &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sub&gt;open&lt;/sub&gt; on the cell membrane can be obtained at each moment. Addtionally, the channel opening integral &lt;i&gt;I&lt;/i&gt; is defined to measure the gating degree of the membrane mechano-sensitive channel under different flow parameters, and the influences of pressure gradient, jet vibration frequency and amplitude on the &lt;i&gt;I&lt;/i&gt; are further discussed in order to find the optimized process parameters, The method we proposed is simpler and easier to implement, and the applied fluid shear stress can be controlled precisely, so that it is possible for proteins, genes and other substances to be transported into the cell across the membrane, and to implement reprogramming.

Synthesis and Performance Evaluation of a Betaine Surfactant

Using sodium bisulfite and epichlorohydrin as raw materials, the ring-opening reaction is carried out under the action of acatalyst to produce sodium 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropane sulfonate, followed by dodecyl tertiary amine, isopropanol, sodium hydroxide and 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropane sulfonate sodium as raw materials, under certain conditions to synthesize dodecyl hydroxy sulfobetaine surfactant. The surface tension, interfacial tension, salt resistance and emulsification properties of the synthesized surfactants were tested and evaluated. The experimental results show that the surfactant has a low critical micelle concentration and surface tension; the interfacial tension decreases with the increase of surfactant concentration. When the concentration is greater than or equal to 0.3%, the interfacial tension reaches 10-2 level; the dodecyl hydroxy sulfobetaine surfactant solution shows good salt resistance; when the concentration of dodecyl hydroxy sulfobetaine surfactant solution is 0.5%, the water separation rate in 120 minutes is the lowest and the emulsification ability is the strongest.

Hexahydrofarnesyl as an original bio-sourced alkyl chain for the preparation of glycosides surfactants with enhanced physicochemical properties.

Five new bio-based surfactants have been synthetized by coupling hexahydrofarnesol with mono and di-saccharides. Hexahydrofarnesol (3,7,11-trimethyl-dodecan-1-ol) is a by-product of the industrial production of farnesane, a sustainable aviation fuel obtained by a fermentation process from sugar feedstocks. Using hexahydrofarnesol as the lipophilic starting material allows obtaining 100% bio-based surfactants while valorizing an industrial by-product. Moreover, the C15-branched alkyl chain brings unique properties to the surfactants. This paper presents a physicochemical characterization of these new surfactants including their behaviors in water (water solubility, critical micellar concentration and surface tension) and in oil/water systems (interfacial tension against model oil and ternary phase behavior). Their hydrophilicities have been determined thanks to the PIT-slope method and compared to the ones of standard surfactants with linear alkyl chains, in order to distinguish the contributions of the sugar polar heads and of the branched hexahydrofarnesyl lipophilic chain. This novel class of surfactants combines the properties of sugar-based surfactants (low sensitivity to temperature and salinity, ability to form Winsor III microemulsion systems over a wide range of salinity), along with specificities linked to the branched alkyl chain (lower Krafft temperature, low surface tension).

Critical Surface Tension of Sulfide Minerals

The Zisman plot was prepared based on the contact angles of sulfide minerals determined using the sessile drop method. The estimated critical surface tension of wetting (ϓcw) was slightly smaller than that of floating (ϓcf), estimated based on natural floatability. However, the order of the ϓcf values, i.e. pyrite > sphalerite > galena > chalcopyrite, estimated from natural floatability, corresponded to that of the ϓcw values obtained from the Zisman plot using the contact angles . Thus, research on critical surface tension using the above-mentioned results should provide meaningful material for the flotation separation of complex sulfide minerals.

Synthesis and characterization of gemini ester surfactant and its application in efficient fabric softening

Cationic surfactants with ester groups are considered as an important class of hydrolyzable and biodegradable materials utilized in multiple fields. In this work, a new type of gemini cationic surfactant containing two ester groups, N1,N1,N4,N4-tetramethyl-N1,N4-bis(2-(hexadecanoyloxy)ethyl)butane-1,4-diammonium bromide (TBDB), an 18-4-18 type gemini surfactant, has been successfully synthesized in a three-step reaction from natural palmitic acid, thionyl chloride, N,N-dimethylethanolamine and 1,4-dibromobutane. The maximum yield reaches about 94% under the optimum reaction conditions. The structures of the final product were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR and mass spectra. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) and surface tension of its aqueous solution are ~3.09 × 10−5 M and 38.4 mN/m at 25 °C, respectively, and the gemini ester surfactant shows high benzene solubilization capacity. When treating cotton fabric, it can effectively retain the whiteness and surface hydrophilicity of the fabric while exhibiting a higher fabric-softening ability than the corresponding monomeric surfactants, due to its more efficient adsorption onto the fabric surface. The discovery suggests that this kind gemini ester surfactant is promising with potential applications in the fields of surfactants and coatings.

Dispersion of amorphous silica nanoparticles via beads milling process and their particle size analysis, hydrophobicity and anti-bacterial activity

In this present work, amorphous silica is synthesized by simple solution method using sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) as raw material. The synthesized silica is dispersed in various dispersing agent obtained from local paint industry and used for painting application. XRD analysis revealed the existence of amorphous silica with a peak at 2θ value of 23° and the SEM analysis exemplified silica nanoparticles demonstrating spherical morphology with agglomeration. Different dispersing agents (as indicated by the codes given by paint industry) were used for the dispersion of SiO2 by beads milling process and its effects were studied. Among the several dispersing agents used amorphous silica dispersed in SND 504 (Sodium salt of polymeric carboxylic acid with water) dispersing agent exhibit better dispersion compared to the other dispersing agents. Further, 10 wt% of SND 504 dispersing agent was optimized with the particle size to 384 nm and zeta potential value of −24.69 mV. The contact angle measurement of the dispersed silica reveals the superior hydrophobic behaviour of SiO2, especially with 10 wt% SND 504 dispersing agent. The critical surface tension of SiO2 with 10 wt% SND 504 dispersing agent reveal low value compared to other concentration of dispersant. Thus, the dispersed silica nanoparticles with enhanced hydrophobicity can be effectively used for painting applications as fillers. Silica dispersed in 10 wt% SND 504 dispersing agent show superior anti-bacterial activity compared to the bare silica which is also reported.

Synthesis and Interface Activity of a Series of Carboxylic Quaternary Ammonium Surfactants in Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing is an important technology for the development of unconventional resources, while the foam fracturing plays an essential role for the oil recovery in hydraulic fracturing. To further explore the anion effect of quaternary ammonium cationic surfactants on their relative performances, four fatty acid surfactants were prepared (cetyltrimethylammonium acetate (CTAAC), cetyltrimethylammonium butyrate (CTABU), cetyltrimethylammonium hexanoate (CTAHE), and cetyltrimethylammonium caprylate (CTACA)). The effect of anions on surface tension and foaming properties were discussed, and the emulsion stability was also investigated. The experimental results were presented that the CTAAC possesses the highest surface activities compared with other members in the prepared surfactants. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) and surface tension at the CMC (γCMC) increase as increasing methylene segments in the anions, the maximum surface excess concentration (Γmax), and minimum area per molecule (Amin) present an opposite trend with the increase of methylene segments. The CTAAC exhibits the best performances on foamability and foam stability than other synthesized surfactants at 70°C; the initial foam height (H0) and the foam height ratio (R3) at 0 min and 3 min are 34.9 cm and 52.9%, respectively; this is due to the lowest surface tension and shortest methylene segments. In addition, the emulsion stability was shown to follow the order of CTAAC&gt;CTABU&gt;CTAHE&gt;CTACA.

Some peculiarities of superheated water flow in contracting-expanding nozzles and their influence on droplet dimension distribution in an atomized water plume

New calculation data on superheated metastable water flow in atomizing Laval type nozzles is presented. The calculating model is discussed on the assumption of predominating nucleation role in liquid atomization. The Mach number variation is presented for diffuser part of the nozzle taking into account the sound velocity variation in a vapor-liquid system. The new criterion, based upon experimental and calculating data, which determines the reaching of full-flashing regime, is proposed for contracting-expanding nozzles. The submicron mass fraction is considered to be a function of dimensionless parameter, which is the critical radius bubble surface tension energy ratio to chemical potential of phase transition for critical bubble radius at certain pressure drop.

Zirconium dioxide membranes decorated by silanes based-modifiers for membrane distillation – Material chemistry approach

Zirconium dioxide membranes (3 nm and 200 nm) were chemically modified by silane-based modifiers with different degrees of fluorination. Comprehensive material characterization has been performed before and after the modification process by goniometric, and microscopic techniques. Wetting properties has been accomplished by applying the Zisman method, Kao diagram, spreading pressure, and critical surface tension. The mechanical, tribological, and separation features of all membranes were investigated as a function of grafting time for 5h, 15h, and 35h.The performance of the membrane was assessed in air-gap membrane distillation processes. Non-fluorinated membranes possessed better transport properties and better mechanical stability in comparison with fluorinated ones which enable the generation of porous, hydrophobic, crack-free material, optimized for MD. Grafting with short fluorocarbon chains (FC6) produced highly hydrophobic materials (CA = 145°) with low roughness (Rq = 6.58 nm) compared to grafting with long fluorocarbon chains (FC12). On the other hand, FC6 showed a highly permeable character and elimination of problems related to substantial flux reduction and pore blocking.

Property evaluation of synthesized anionic-nonionic gemini surfactants for chemical enhanced oil recovery

Gemini surfactant has a good application prospect in the field of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) due to the advantages of high interfacial activity, low critical micelle concentration (CMC) and good wettability alteration. In this paper, ethylenediamine, sodium 2-bromoethanesulphonate and fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether are used as raw materials to synthesize a new kind of anionic-nonionic gemini surfactant which hydrophilic group consists of two parts nonionic and anionic groups through a mild reaction of amination. The surface tension, interfacial tension, wettability and oil displacement of the synthesized anionic-nonionic gemini surfactants were evaluated. Parameters of surfactant the saturated adsorption amount Γmax and the minimum molecular occupied area Amin were calculated. The structures of the optimal product were characterized by IR and 1H-NMR. The results showed that the critical surface tension of the synthesized anionic-nonionic gemini surfactant was as low as 28.94 mN/m, and the critical micelle concentration was 4.9 × 10−5 mol/L. An interfacial tension between the aqueous solution of 600 mg/L optimal surfactant and Dagang crude oil was 0.0804 mN/m. 1500 mg/L aqueous solution can reduce the surface contact angle of lipophilic low permeability core from 144.5° to 71.5°. The anionic-nonionic gemini surfactant (1000 mg/L; 0.4 PV) can improve oil displacement efficiency by 7.03%. The current study opens a new pathway for designing enhancing oil recovery applicable gemini surfactants with excellent performance, wide source of raw materials and low dosage.