The stability of foams in the presence
of oil is a crucial factor
for foam displacement process in enhanced oil recovery. After the
test of foam stability in the presence of oil of the mixtures of sodium
dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (C12TAB), “catanionic” surfactant mixtures are
proposed as a novel agent to enhance the oil resistance of foam. Based
on the investigations of the foam evolution and the interfacial properties,
the mechanisms are demonstrated by means of approaches of multiple
light scattering and interfacial dilational rheological experiments.
Because of the electrostatic attraction between molecules with opposite
charges, catanionic mixtures are highly close-packed and form dense
adsorption layers, which possess high modulus. So when oil–aqueous
and gas–aqueous interfaces are approaching each other, strong
pseudoemulsion films are formed. The compact adsorption layers also
inhibit the diffusion exchange between the interface and the bulk,
and this is the key factor to decrease the interaction between the
gas–aqueous and oil–aqueous interfaces of the pseudoemulsion
film. These properties increase the enter barrier of the oil droplets
to the film surface.