Synthesis a new family hybrid anionic/nonionic surfactant and investigation their physical properties in relation to chemical enhanced oil recovery

This study details the synthesis of a new class family of surfactants with dual anionic and nonionic moieties (hybrid surfactants) based on maleic anhydride. The maleic anhydride reacted with 1-octene to prepare the corresponding 2-Octene-1-yl-Succinic Anhydride. Then, this anhydride was esterified with prepared ethoxylated alcohols (ethylene oxide = 20 units) having different alkyl chains to obtain nonionic moiety surfactants named as; NMAE-10, NMAE-12 and NMAE-14. The sulfonation was carried for the nonionic surfactant by using sodium bisulfite to get three anionic moiety surfactants (hybrid surfactants) designated as; AMAES-10, AMAES-12 and AMAES-14. FT-IR and ¹H NMR confirmed the surfactants’ structures. At 50 °C, Alkane carbon number (ACN) and n _min were calculated by comparing n-hydrocarbon scans from n-C ₆ to n-C ₁₆ with the interfacial tension at the CMC. The work adhesion (W _a ), spreading coefficient and surface charge energy for these surfactants were determined from interfacial tension, surface tension and contact angle measurements. A sand back model was utilized to examine the crude oil recovery factor at 50 °C. The obtained results indicated that, these surfactants have excellent performance in the term of surface activity and thermodynamics properties. Notably, AMAES-12 exhibits the most significant reduction in surface tension (16.3 mN/m) and the lowest interfacial tension (0.01 mN/m) at 50 °C. The contact angle data demonstrated that, the prepared surfactants have efficiency to make alteration in wettability. The AMAES-12 achieved the maximum total oil recovery arrived 92.3% of the original from oil in place (OOIP).