Research on the W/O emulsion stability influenced by the content of salt and surfactants

摘要

The water-in-oil emulsion has been of great importance in the oil industry. The stability of water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion has been investigated over a wide range of parameters. These parameters are salt concentration (0-8%), nonionic surfactant concentration (0-10%), and co-surfactant concentration (0-4%). The stability of water-in-oil emulsion was studied by recording the height of emulsion at 0, 6, 12, 24h. This investigation describes the coalescence process and shows that the presence of the surfactant is necessary for stable emulsion, and stability gradually decreases with salt concentration to some degree. Moreover, the co-surfactant combined with surfactant can increase the stability of emulsion effectively.