The matching of a given oil with an emulsifier of a certain HLB value in order to stabilize an emulsion of the oil in water iswell known, but, beyond this, there is an added value in using fluid components with optimal “HLB” values. The use of“HLB” optimized fluid components can be an important part of ensuring long fluid life and good fluid stability. Onecommon estimation method for determining the HLB of alcohol ethoxylates involves dividing the partial MW of thepolyethoxy chain by the total MW and then multiplying this ratio by 20. This method can be generalized to yield an“HLB” value for other molecules by extending the definition to a ratio of the partial MW of the “hydrophilic” portion ofthe molecule and dividing by the total MW. This talk will summarize some lab and field work wherein the value of usingan “HLB” optimized N-alkylalkanolamine has been verified.
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