Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Low interfacial tension and miscibility studies for surfactant tertiary oil recovery processes. Progress report, December 1, 1975--November 30, 1976

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7350184· OSTI ID:7350184
The objective of the research reported herein was to begin developing a basic understanding of the very low interfacial tensions between oil and water which must be achieved if tertiary oil recovery processes involving surfactants are to be successful. The basic approach has been to study the relationship between interfacial structure and interfacial tension. Observations with the polarizing microscope have shown that the lowest tensions occur when rather fluid intermediate phases of low birefringence form at the interface between the aqueous surfactant solution and the oil. To explain these observations, a theory of low interfacial tension has been developed based on consideration of phase separation in micellar solutions. Predictions of the theory are generally in agreement with experimental results.
Research Organization:
Carnegie-Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, Pa. (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-S-02-0018
OSTI ID:
7350184
Report Number(s):
COO-0018-2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English