Renewable oleyl based surfactants for application in liquid explosive high internal phase emulsions

[Display omitted] •Oleyl-tailed quaternary ammonium ester surfactants were synthesised.•These surfactants stabilised high internal phase w/o emulsions.•Rheology showed highly shear thinning behaviour of the emulsions.•Stable, double-salt emulsion explosive formulations were produced. A series of sustainable surfactants derived from oleic acid have been synthesized and tested for their ability to form high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) for liquid explosives. Two surfactants have been highlighted for their ability to form stable ‘double salt’ (ammonium and calcium nitrate) emulsions. These stabilizers can be prepared at kilogram scale in either one or two steps from commercially available, sustainable methyl oleate and crucially can be used directly in HIPE formulation without the need for further purification. Pendant drop tensiometry studies of purified material however indicate potential for other applications such as enhanced oil recovery and their ability to form spontaneous emulsions.