Evaluation of oil-in-water emulsions with non-io nic and anionic surfactants mixtures for potential use in the oil industry

In the present work, formulations to emulsify heavy crude oil in water, at crude oil/water relation -ship of 70/30, were evaluated. Non-ionic and an ionic surfactants were used with amines of short chain as co-surfactants. Stability, viscosity, conductivity, drop size and size distribution, were evaluated. Stable emulsions were obtained with simple and multiple systems which smaller viscosities than the original crude oil, all them with external phases of water and “extended in version zone”. The minimum drop size obtained was of 23 μm, with polydisperses distributions, unimodals and bimodals. It was concluded that non-ionic and an ionic surfactants mixtures originate a positive synergy, in creasing the stability of the crude oil emulsions, and as well as that short chain amines are excellent co-surfactants, be cause they stabilize micelles formed in side the surfactant-water-crude oil system.