Preparation of Sodium Oleate-Derived Multifunctional Surfactants by Hydroxymethylation

In this paper, sodium oleate (SO) was modified by the reaction with formaldehyde by hydroxymethylation to prepare SO-1, SO-2, SO-3 and SO-4. The products were characterized by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV) and Mass spectrum (MS). The applicability of the products as oilfield chemicals was evaluated by using interfacial tension and foaming property. On this basis, the microemulsion structure of the synthesized surfactant was observed. The decay mechanism of different surfactant foams, the droplet structure and emulsion of the microstructure surfactants were revealed. In the relationship between stability, the interfacial tension evolution reduces the ability of oil-water interfacial tension. SO-1, SO-2, SO-3 and SO-4 can reduce the oil-water interfacial tension by an order of magnitude at different temperatures, and the synthetic product has a strong ability to reduce the oil-water interfacial tension. The above experimental results all indicate that they have an excellent ability to reduce the oil-water interfacial tension, and they can be used in the oil and petrochemical industry for oil production and have certain practical uses.