TITLE:
The Effect of Different Brine to Electric Properties of Heavy Oil Emulsion by HLB Scan
AUTHORS:
Lei Zhang, Zhigang Peng, Shaoxian Wang
KEYWORDS:
Conductivity, Electric Properties, Heavy Oil Emulsion, Hydrophilic-Hydrophobic Balance
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.1 No.2,
May
28,
2014
ABSTRACT: In this study, five kinds of metal salt were selected, and Span80 and Tween80 surfactants were selected; they have been used in wide range of hydrophilic–hydrophobic balance (HLB) from 4.3 to 15. The electrical conductivities of heavy oil and different brine emulsion were measured. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of HLB on the conductivity of heavy oil-brine emulsion. A series of brine-in-heavy oil type (w/o) emulsions with various HLB were prepared. This test used the electric conductivity method to study the physicochemical properties of emulsions. The results indicated that the emulsion conductivity varied widely with the change of HLB value. The conductivity of emulsion containing a sort of metal salt was sequenced as follow: NiSO4 > Ni(NO3)2 > FeSO4 > Co(NO3)2 > (NH4)6Mo7O24·4H2O. The conductivity of toluene solution containing Span80 and Tween80 represents exponential relation with HLB. But in the heavy oil-brine emulsion, the relationship between conductivity and HLB was non-linear.