Influence of Polymer on Dynamic Interfacial Tensions of EOR Surfactant Solutions

The effects of different types of polymers, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) and hydrophobically modified polyacrylamide (HMPAM), on dynamic interfacial tensions (IFTs) of surfactant/model oil systems have been investigated by the spinning drop method in this article. Two anionic surfactants, 1,2-dihexyl-4-propylbenzene sulfonate (366), 1,4-dibutyl-2-nonylbenzene sulfonate (494) and an anionic-nonionic surfactant octyl-[-alkyloxy-poly(oxyethylene)]yl-benzene sulfonates (828) with high purity were selected as model surfactants. The influences of polymer concentration on IFT were expounded. It was found that the addition of polymer mostly results in increasing IFT because the interfacial molecular arrangement is modified owing to the interaction between polymer and surfactants. For HPAM, the polymer chains will enter the surfactant adsorption layer to form mixed-adsorption layer. Therefore, HPAM shows strong effect on surfactant molecules with large size, such as 366. Conversely, surfactants can interact with the hydrophobic blocks of HMPAM and form mixed micelle-like associations at interface. As a result, HMPAM shows more impact on IFT of 494 due to small steric hindrance for the formation of interfacial associations. This mechanism has been ensured by 828 molecules with two long alkyl chains. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.