The Effect of Different Brine to Electric Properties of Heavy Oil Emulsion by HLB Scan

Lei Zhang, Zhigang Peng, Shaoxian Wang

Shengli Petroleum Engineering Company Limited Drilling Technology Research Institute & Completion Engineering Key Laboratory, Dongying, China.

DOI: 10.4236/oalib.1100402                

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.

Keywords

Conductivity, Electric Properties, Heavy Oil Emulsion, Hydrophilic-Hydrophobic Balance

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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