Synergistic anionic/zwitterionic mixed surfactant system with high emulsification efficiency for enhanced oil recovery in low permeability reservoirs

Emulsification is one of the important mechanisms of surfactant flooding. To improve oil recovery for low permeability reservoirs, a highly efficient emulsification oil flooding system consisting of anionic surfactant sodium alkyl glucosyl hydroxypropyl sulfonate(APGSHS) and zwitterionic surfactant octadecyl betaine(BS-18) is proposed. The performance of APGSHS/BS-18 mixed surfactant system was evaluated in terms of interfacial tension, emulsification capability, emulsion size and distribution, wettability alteration, temperature-resistance and salt-resistance. The emulsification speed was used to evaluate the emulsification ability of surfactant systems, and the results show that mixed surfactant systems can completely emulsify the crude oil into emulsions droplets even under low energy conditions. Meanwhile,the system exhibits good temperature and salt resistance. Finally, the best oil recovery of 25.45% is achieved for low permeability core by the mixed surfactant system with a total concentration of 0.3 wt%while the molar ratio of APGSHS:BS-18 is 4:6. The current study indicates that the anionic/zwitterionic mixed surfactant system can improve the oil flooding efficiency and is potential candidate for application in low permeability reservoirs.

Enabling an Inorganic-Rich Interface via Cationic Surfactant for High-Performance Lithium Metal Batteries

An anion-rich electric double layer(EDL)region is favorable for fabricating an inorganic-rich solid-electrolyte interphase(SEI)towards stable lithium metal anode in ester electrolyte.Herein,cetyltrimethylammonium bromide(CTAB),a cationic surfactant,is adopted to draw more anions into EDL by ionic interactions that shield the repelling force on anions during lithium plating.In situ electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy results combined with molecular dynamics simulations validate the enrichment of NO_(3)^(−)/FSI−anions in the EDL region due to the positively charged CTA^(+).In-depth analysis of SEI structure by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry results confirmed the formation of the inorganic-rich SEI,which helps improve the kinetics of Li^(+)transfer,lower the charge transfer activation energy,and homogenize Li deposition.As a result,the Li||Li symmetric cell in the designed electrolyte displays a prolongated cycling time from 500 to 1300 h compared to that in the blank electrolyte at 0.5 mA cm^(-2) with a capacity of 1 mAh cm^(-2).Moreover,Li||LiFePO_(4) and Li||LiCoO_(2) with a high cathode mass loading of>10 mg cm^(-2) can be stably cycled over 180 cycles.

Synthesis and Characterization of Zirconia Nanocrystallites by Cationic Surfactant and Anionic Surfactant

Study on nanomaterials has attracted great interests in recent years. In this article, zirconia nanocrystallites of different structures have been successfully synthesized via hydrothermal methods with cationic surfactant （CTAB） and anionic surfactant （SDS）, respectively. Differential Scanning Calorimeter （DSC-TG）, X-ray Diffractometer （XRD）, Transmission Electron Microscope （TEM）, Ultraviolet-Visible （UV-vis） and N2 adsorption-desorption analyses are used for their structure characteristics. The results show that the cationic surfactant has a distinctive direction effect on the formation of zirconia nanocrystallites, while the anionic surfactant has a self-assembly synergistic effect on them. The sample synthesized with the cationic surfactant presents good dispersion with the main phase of tetragonal zirconia, and the average nanocrystal size is around 15 nm after calcination at 500 ℃. While the sample synthesized with the anionic surfactant exhibits a worm-like mesoporous structure with pure tetragonal phase after calcination at 500 ℃ and with good thermal stability.

Phase Separation and Microstructure of Mixed Surfactants Solution Containing Cationic Geminis and Traditional Anionic Surfactant

The properties of aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) of mixed solution containing gemini cationic surfactant trimethylene-1,3-bis(dodecyldimethyl ammonium) bromide (12-3-12, 2Br-) and traditional anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with or without added salt have been studied. An ATPS is formed in a narrow region of the ternary phase diagram different from that of traditional aqueous cationic-anionic surfactant systems. In ATPS region, the lowest total concentration of surfactants varies with the mixing ratio of geminis to SDS. Photographs obtained from freeze-etching, negative-staining and transmission electron microscopy show that the microstructures of two phases are different from each other. Micelles and vesicles can coexist in a single phase. The addition of salts can change the phase diagram of ATPS. Furthermore, the added salts promote the aggregation of rod-like micelles to form coarse network structure that increase the viscosity of solutions. The negative ions of the added salts are the determining factor.

Theoretical and Experimental Studies on Interactions of Cationic-Anionic Surfactants

Typical cationic and anionic surfactants were chosen and their interactions were calculated by quantum chemical method. Interaction energies are -0.2378 kJ·mol-1, -3.3394kJ·mol-1 and 0.1204kJ·mol-1 for the molecular pairs with fluocarbon and hydrocarbon chain: C4H10/C5H12, C4F10/C5H12, and C4F10 /C5F12, respectively. When hydrophilic group with cationic and anionicions is introduced, interaction energies are -287.40kJ·mol-1, -311.18kJ·mol-1 and -345.83kJ·mol-1. The results show that there is strong static interaction between cationic and anionic surfactants. It has been predicted that mixed monolayer may be formed and surface activity is enhanced favorably, especially for mixtures of cationic and anionic surfactants with fluocarbon and hydrocarbon chains. The anionic surfactants, sodium octadecylbenzenesulfonate perfluopolyetherbenzenesulonate(ANF-I) was synthesized, mixture effects of ANF-I with sodium octadecylbenzenesulfonate or dodecyldimethyl benzylammonium bromide were studied. The results indicate that the efficiency of mixing increased and the theoretical prediction was testified. These results can provide useful information for the design of new surfactants.

Phase behavior and properties of salt-free cationic/anionic surfactant mixtures of oleic acid and stearic acid

Cationic base surfactant, tetradecyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (TTAOH), can be obtained through anion exchange from tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTABr). Salt-free cationic and anionic (catanionic) surfactant mixtures were studied by mixing TTAOH with oleic acid (OA) or stearic acid (SA) in water. The phase behavior of TTAOH/OA/H2O is compared with that of TTAOH/SA/H2O. It was found that the phase behavior of TTAOH/OA/H2O and TTAOH/SA/H2O system differs from each other due to the existence of the unsaturated double carbon bond (C=C) in OA. At fixed total surfactant concentration (25 mg/mL) of TTAOH/OA/H2O system at 25℃, one can observe an isotropic L1 phase, and a L1/Lα two-phase region with increasing OA content. The volume of top turbid Lα phase increases while the bottom phase changes gradually from transparently clear to a bit turbid until a single Lα-phase is reached. Finally at high OA concentration, excess OA is separated from the bulk aqueous solutions. TTAOH/SA/H2O system usually forms white precipitating at 25℃ due to the high chain melting temperature of SA. When heated to 60℃, however, the state of samples changes. At fixed total surfactant concentration of 25 mg/mL, an isotropic L1 phase and a milk-white or bluish Lα-phase are observed with increasing SA concentration. Transparent thin layers which are strongly birefringent form at the tops of some samples within the Lα-phase region. Finally, at high SA concentration, excess SA is separated from the bulk aqueous solutions. In addition to phase behavior study, we also measured the conductivity of TTAOH/OA/H2O system at 25℃ and TTAOH/SA/H2O system at 60℃, respectively. Surface tension and rheological measurements were also performed on typical samples.

Comparative studies on flotation of aluminosilicate minerals with Gemini cationic surfactants BDDA and EDDA

Gemini quaternary ammonium salt surfactants, butane-a, co-bis（dimethyl dodeculammonium bromide） （BDDA） ethane-a, fl-bis（dimethyl dodeculammonium bromide） （EDDA） were adopted to comparatively study the flotation behaviors of kaolinite, pyrophyllite and illite. It was found that three silicate minerals all exhibited good floatability with Gemini cationic surfactants as collectors over a wide pH range, while BDDA showed a stronger collecting power than EDDA. FTIR spectra and zeta potential analysis indicated that the mechanism of adsorption of Gemini collector molecules on three silicate minerals surfaces was almost identical for the electronic attraction and hydrogen bonds effect. The theoretically obtained results of density functional theory （DFT） at B3LYP/6-31G （d） level demonstrated the stronger collecting power of BDDA presented in the floatation test and zeta potential measurement.

Synthesis and Surface Activity of Novel Triazole-based Cationic Gemini Surfactants

The synthesis and surfactant activities of two new cationic gemini surfactants containing triazole compound as spacer were described. Their critical micelle concentrations (CMC), which are 1.8×10-4 mol/L and 3.9×10-4 mol/L respectively, are much lower than that of conventional surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (CTAC). In addition, compared with some gemini surfactants containing phenylene, xylylene and stilbenyl as spacer, this new kind of surfactants has good solubility in water at room temperature because of containing more hydrophilic groups or atoms in molecules.

Change Color Effect and Spectral Properties of Gold Nanoparticle-cationic Surfactants System

The change color effect of gold nanoparticle solutions was studied by means of resonance scattering and absorption spectrometry and scan electron microscopy. The red Au nanoparticles with a size of 10 nm exhibit a resonance absorption peak and a resonance scattering peak all at 525 nm. After some inorganic electrolyte was added to a red Au nanoparticles solution, the color of the solution became blue and the absorbance at (600_700) nm was significantly increased. The ratio of the concentration of monovalent cations, at which the resonance scattering of the system at 525 nm is maximal to that of divalent cations, is in the range of 100∶1_100∶1.8. It is in good agreement with the Schulze-Hardy rule of the coagulation value of electrolyte. After adding some cationic surfactants to the above solution, the color of the solution is in deep blue, with two resonance absorption peaks at 550 and 680 nm, and a greatly enhanced resonance scattering peak at 525 nm. The experiments demonstrate that the stronger the hydrophobicity of the cationic surfactant is, the stronger the change color effect of the Au nanoparticle solution promoted by cationic surfactant is. The change color effect of Au nanoparticle solution is resulted from the increased diameter of Au nanoparticles, and the changes of resonance absorption peak and resonance scattering.

Synthesis and Properties of Gemini Cationic Surfactants with Amide Spacers

Four gemini cationic surfactants {N,N′-di[2-(lauryldimethylamino)acetyl]polymethylenediamine dichloride, LAA-s-LAA, s=2,3,4,6} were synthesized by using four bis(α-chloroacetamide)s and N,N-dimethyllaurylamine, respectively. The molecular structures were characterized by means of IR, ~ 1H NMR, \{~ ~13 C NMR\} and MS, and the behavior of their aqueous solutions was studied. The critical micell concentrations(CMC) of LAA-s-LAA were one order of magnitude lower than that of dodecyltrimethyl ammonium chloride(DTAC). With the change of the length of spacer chain(s), their CMC values change, and CMC reaches the top value at s=4.

Adsorption of Metsulfuron and Bensulfuron on a Cationic Surfactant-Modified Paddy Soil

Adsorption isotherms of metsulfuron and bensulfuron on a hexadecyltrimethylammonium （HDTMA） bromide-modified paddy soil under different ionic strengths, with divalent cation Cu^2＋, or having different pH were studied to describe their adsorptive behavior, and to try to explain the adsorption process of a sulfonylurea compound with a carbamoylsulfamoyl group in the modified soil environment. All the adsorption isotherms fitted the Freundlich equation well, and the HDTMA treatment of paddy soil dramatically enhanced adsorption capacity of metsulfuron or bensulfuron. Also, an increase of ionic strength and the addition of divalent heavy metal cation Cu^2＋ on the HDTMA-modified paddy soil increased the adsorption of metsulfuron or bensulfuron. Additionally, for metsulfuron and bensulfuron in the aqueous phase, adsorption capacity of the HDTMA-modified paddy soft gradually increased with decreasing pH.

Effect of an Anionic Surfactant on Hydraulic Conductivities of Sodium- and Calcium-Saturated Soils

The effect of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), an anionic surfactant used widely in household products and industrial processes, on saturated hydraulic conductivities (Ksat) of an Anthrosol saturated with sodium (Na-soil) or calcium (Ca-soil) was analyzed in a laboratory experiment using the constant head method, and adsorption and dispersion experiments were also conducted to infer the possible mechanisms of Ksat fluctuations. The results showed that SDBS was more intensely adsorbed in the Ca-soil than in the Na-soil. With an increase in the SDBS concentration, the stability of the Na-soil suspensions decreased when the SDBS concentration was less than 1.2 mmol L-1 and then above this concentration, increased markedly, while the stability of the Ca-soil suspensions increased gradually at all SDBS concentrations studied. With an increase in the SDBS concentration, the Ksat of the Na-soil increased, which resulted mainly from the increase of water channels in the soil because of the coagulation of the soil particles, while the Ksat of Ca-soil decreased mainly on account of the clogging of partial water channels by precipitated Ca(DBS)2 and the fine soil particles generated.

Influences of anionic and cationic dopants on the morphology and optical properties of PbS nanostructures

Selenium and zinc are used as anionic and cationic dopant elements to dope PbS nanostructures. The undoped and doped PbS nanostructures are grown using a thermal evaporation method. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） results show similar morphologies for the undoped and doped PbS nanostructures. X-ray diffraction （XRD） patterns of three sets of the nanostructures indicate that these nanostructures each have a PbS structure with a cubic phase. Evidence of dopant incorporation is demonstrated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）. Raman spectra of the synthesized samples con- firm the XRD results and indicate five Raman active modes, which relate to the PbS cubic phase for all the nanostructures. Room temperature photoluminescence （PL） and UV-Vis spectrometers are used to study optical properties of the undoped and doped PbS nanostructures. Optical characterization shows that emission and absorption peaks are in the infrared （IR） region of the electromagnetic spectrum for all PbS nanostructures. In addition, the optical studies of the doped PbS nanos- tructures reveal that the band gap of the Se-doped PbS is smaller, and the band gap of the Zn-doped PbS is bigger than the band gap of the undoped PbS nanostructures.

Comparative studies on flotation of illite,pyrophyllite and kaolinite with Gemini and conventional cationic surfactants

To search a novel class of effective silicate mineral collectors,the Gemini quaternary ammonium salt surfactant(butane-α,ω-bis(dimethyl dodeculammonium bromide),12-4-12) and its corresponding conventional monomeric surfactant(dedecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide,DTAB) were adopted to comparatively study the flotation behaviors of illite,pyrophyllite and kaolinite. Three silicate minerals with the Gemini surfactant as collector reveal floatability far better than with the corresponding traditional one. At pH 6,the best recoveries of illite,pyrophyllite and kaolinite with 3.5×10-4 mol/L 12-4-12 are 99.2%,91.7% and 99.6%,respectively. The fluorescence and contact angle measurement were also conducted for the further investigation of surfactants aggregation behavior and silicate mineral surface hydrophobic properties. FTIR spectra analysis and electrokinetic analysis show that the mechanism of adsorption of collector molecules on mineral surfaces is almost identical for the electronic attraction and hydrogen bonds effect. The superior collecting power of dimeric collector may be attributed primarily to its special structure and its essential properties.

Synthesis of Silica Hollow Spheres with Diameter Around 50 nm by Anionic Surfactant

Silica hollow spheres（SHSs） have attracted great attention because of their low toxicity, low density, large surface area, high chemical and thermal stability, and surface permeability. They can be widely applied in storage^[l], catalysis^[2], drug deli- very^[3,4], low-dielectric-constant materials^[5], low-refractive materials^[6-8], and so on. Up to now, there have been various methods to produce SHSs. Inorganic^[9] or organic particles^[10], such as polystyrene or calcium carbonate, were used as hard templates to create hollow cavities, However, the multistep synthetic process and the lack of structural robustness of the shells upon template removal process weaken their applica- tion. Soft templates, including oil-in-water emulsions^[11,12], vesicles^[13], micelle^[14,15] and gas bubbles^[16], are applied widely.

A comparison of anionic and cationic flotation of a siliceous phosphate rock in a column flotation cell

Flotation performance of a de-slimed（-150＋53μm）Jordanian siliceous phosphate was evaluated in a batch laboratory flotation column 100 cm high and 5 cm inside diameter.The collector used during anionic flotation was sodium oleate while an amine acetate（AEROMINE 3100C）was used for cationic flotation.Flotation comparison at different collector dosage,superficial gas velocity,and frother concentration showed that the maximum difference in performance between cationic and anionic flotation was obtained with these flotation parameters：30×10^（-6）（mg/L）frother concentration,250 g/t collector concentration,and 3.4 cm/s superficial gas velocity.At these operating conditions amine （cationic）flotation gave 7%higher flotation recovery,a 6%cleaner concentrate grade,and was 6%more efficient at removing silica.

Adsorption of 2,4-dinitrophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol on Cationic Surfactant Modified Red Soil

Adsorption isotherms of 2,4-dinitrophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol on hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) bromide modified red soil under different ionic strength, divalent cation Cu 2+ or different pH conditions were studied. All the adsorption isotherms were well fitted to the Freundlich equation. The adsorption capacities of 2,4-dinitrophenol or 2,4-dichlorophenol were dramatically enhanced by HDTMA treatment of red soil. The increase of ionic strength and the addition of divalent heavy metal cation Cu 2+ significantly enhanced the adsorption of 2,4-dinitrophenol or 2,4-dichlorophenol on the HDTMA-modified red soil. Adsorption capacities of HDTMA-modified red soil for 2,4-dinitrophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol gradually increased with decreasing pH in the aqueous phase.

Determination of Cationic Surfactant by Laser Thermal Lens Spectrometry

A novel method for the determination of cationic surfactant by laser thermal lens spectrometry was developed. It was based on the reaction between 1-hydroxy-2-(5-nitro-2-Pyri- dylazo)-8-aminonaphthalene-3,6-disulfonic acid (5-NO2-PAH) and cationic surfactant to form 1:2 ionic association complex in a weakly basic medium (pH 9.44). The determination conditions and the mechanism were discussed. The method has been applied to the analysis of wastewater and moat water samples.

Preparation and Application of Anionic and Cationic Waterborne Polyurethanes and Graphene-Cellulose Nanocrystal as an Antistatic Agent for Cashmere

The main purpose of this research work is to improve anti-static properties of Cashmere fabric by introducing application comprising anti-static agent by foaming which was made with cationic waterborne polyurethane and graphene-CNC. Cashmere fabric was cut into 10 pieces of sample cloth of 5 cm * 5 cm size, washed with acetone solution, and then dried in an oven at 60℃. Three forms of waterborne polyurethanes such as two forms of Cationic waterborne polyurethane (CWPU) and a form of Anionic waterborne polyurethane (AWPU) were synthesized. Cellulose nanocrystalline (CNC)/graphite powder solution with the ratio of 0.5/1, 1/1, 2/1 was prepared by ultrasonic probe stripping method, and the concentration of graphite powder was ensured to be 1 mg/ml. The fabric was treated with anionic and cationic WPUs foaming solution until the weight gain reached 2.5 - 3.5 wt%. After drying, the elastic cloth was foamed with graphene solution until the graphite content of the cloth was close to 10%, 20%, 40%, 60% respectively, and then dried for reserving. Characterization properties of pure graphite powder, pure CNC and graphene solution with different proportions of three components were tested by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermalgravitimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Take the original cloth, only WPU treated cloth and four clothes with different graphite content for the fabric performance test.

Effect of Cationic Surfactant on the Inhibition of Ligninase by Hydrogen Peroxide

The inhibition of ligninase by hydrogen peroxide in the presence of cationic surfactant CTAB was studied by kinetic spectrophotometric technique. Results showed that addition of CTAB enhanced the inhibition by H2O2, but it did not alter the inhibition pattern and the inhibition constant changed little with the concentration of CTAB. Modification of the enzymic protein by the surfactant monomer may be responsible for the above mentioned results.