Evaluation of oil-in-water emulsions with cationic–anionic surfactants mixtures for potential use in the oil industry

Abstract

The emulsifier properties of sodium oleate (NaOl)-hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB) aque-ous mixtures were studied using different proportions of the surfactants. The formation of O/W andW/O emulsions was explored and their properties (viscosity, stability and droplets size distribution)were determined. The mixture with 0.75 mole fraction of HTAB without considering the solvent formedvery stable and concentrated O/W emulsions, which were destroyed via heterocoagulation by quartzitesand. Thus, these mixtures have high potential applicability in the asphalt emulsification for pavementproduction or sand fixation.