Surface and interfacial properties of 1,3-dialkyl glyceryl ether hydroxypropyl sulfonates as surfactants for enhanced oil recovery

ABSTRACT

A series of double-chain anionic surfactants, 1,3-dialkyl glyceryl ether hydroxylpropyl sulfonates (diC_mGE-HS, m = 8, 10, 12), were synthesized from renewable materials. These surfactants possess very low γ_cmc (∼25 mN/m) at 25°C, and their mixtures with conventional surfactants can reduce Daqing crude oil/connate water IFT to ultralow at 45°C in wide total concentration range (0.625-10 mM) in the presence of 0.5 wt.% Na₂CO₃. It seems that diC₁₂GE-HS behaves as a hydrophobic component, whereas diC₁₀GE-HS and diC₈GE-HS behave as hydrophilic components in these mixtures. The mixtures also exhibit high resistance against adsorption by sandstone and good ability of keeping sandstone surface water-wet.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Adsorption
• double-chain anionic surfactants
• enhanced oil recovery
• hydroxylpropyl sulfonates
• ultralow IFT

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Laboratory of Oil Recovery, Institute of Petroleum Exploring and Development of Daqing, China, for providing financial support as well as crude oil, connate water, PAM and sandstone samples.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Key laboratories of Ministry of Education [Grant Number JUSRP51507] and Central Universities [Grant Number JUSRP51405A].