Property evaluation of synthesized anionic-nonionic gemini surfactants for chemical enhanced oil recovery

Abstract Gemini surfactant has a good application prospect in the field of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) due to the advantages of high interfacial activity, low critical micelle concentration (CMC) and good wettability alteration. In this paper, ethylenediamine, sodium 2-bromoethanesulphonate and fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether are used as raw materials to synthesize a new kind of anionic-nonionic gemini surfactant which hydrophilic group consists of two parts nonionic and anionic groups through a mild reaction of amination. The surface tension, interfacial tension, wettability and oil displacement of the synthesized anionic-nonionic gemini surfactants were evaluated. Parameters of surfactant the saturated adsorption amount Γmax and the minimum molecular occupied area Amin were calculated. The structures of the optimal product were characterized by IR and 1H-NMR. The results showed that the critical surface tension of the synthesized anionic-nonionic gemini surfactant was as low as 28.94 mN/m, and the critical micelle concentration was 4.9 × 10−5 mol/L. An interfacial tension between the aqueous solution of 600 mg/L optimal surfactant and Dagang crude oil was 0.0804 mN/m. 1500 mg/L aqueous solution can reduce the surface contact angle of lipophilic low permeability core from 144.5° to 71.5°. The anionic-nonionic gemini surfactant (1000 mg/L; 0.4 PV) can improve oil displacement efficiency by 7.03%. The current study opens a new pathway for designing enhancing oil recovery applicable gemini surfactants with excellent performance, wide source of raw materials and low dosage.