Dynamic Interfacial Tensions of Surfactant and Polymer Solutions Related to High-Temperature and High-Salinity Reservoir

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 28; no. 3; p. 1279
• Main Authors: Cui, Xiang-Long, Pan, Yi, Hu, Fu-Tang, Han, Lu, Zhu, Xiu-Yu, Zhang, Lei, Zhou, Zhao-Hui, Li, Gen, Ma, Gui-Yang, Zhang, Lu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28.01.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: betaine; Chemical properties; Chemical research; Crude oil; Enhanced oil recovery; Hydrocarbons; interfacial tension; Mineralization; n-alkanes; Permeability; polymer; Polymers; Salinity; Salt; Surface active agents; Surface tension; Surfactants; Thermal properties; Viscosity; China; polymer; interfacial tension; n-alkanes; crude oil; betaine
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031279

Betaine is a new surfactant with good application prospects in high-temperature and high-salinity reservoirs. The interfacial properties of two kinds of betaine mixtures with a good synergistic effect were evaluated in this paper. On this basis, the effects of temperature-resistant, salt-resistant polymers with different contents of 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) on dynamic interfacial tensions (IFTs) against n-alkanes and crude oil were studied. The experimental results show that the IFTs between betaine ASB and n-alkanes can be reduced to ultra-low values by compounding with anionic surfactant petroleum sulfonate (PS) and extended anionic surfactant alkoxyethylene carboxylate (AEC), respectively. ASB@AEC is very oil-soluble with nmin value ≥14, and ASB@PS is relatively water-soluble with nmin value of 10. The water solubility of both ASB@PS and ASB@AEC is enhanced by the addition of water-soluble polymers. The HLB of the ASB@AEC solution becomes better against crude oil after the addition of polymers, and the IFT decreases to an ultra-low value as a result. On the contrary, the antagonistic effect in reducing the IFT can be observed for ASB@PS in the same case. In a word, polymers affect the IFTs of surfactant solutions by regulating the HLB.