DISCUSSION:

BasedontheresultobtainedusingDuNuoyringtensiometer,bothsurfacetension
andinterfacialtensionareeffectsbasedonliquids.Boththeseeffectstakeplacedueto
theunbalancedintermolecularforcesbetweentheliquidmolecules.Interfacial tension is
a property of the interface between two immiscible phases. It can be defined as a
measurement of the cohesive energy present at the interface arising from the imbalance of
the forces between molecules at the interface. When the phases are both liquids it is
termed as interfacial tension, when one of the phase is air it is termed as surface tension.
Atthephaseboundary,thesumoftheinteractionswiththemoleculesofthesamephase
isgreaterthanthatoftheinteractionswithmoleculesoftheotherphase.Accordingly,
moleculesattheinterfacehavefewerattractiveinteractingpartnersthaninthevolume
phase.Thephasesthereforeformthesmallestpossibleinterfacewithouttheactionof
externalforce.
Fromtheresults,distilledwaterhasahighsurfacetensioncomparedtotheother
liquidsamplesbecauseoftherelativelyhighattractionofwatermoleculesbetweeneach
other.Surfactanthasthelowestsurfacetensionof24.03dynes/cm.Thereasonforthis
lowvalueisbecauseofthepropertiesofthesurfactant.Surfactantfunctionbybreaking
downtheinterfacebetweenwaterandoil.Surfactantsareusuallyorganiccompounds
thatareamphiphilic,meaningtheycontainbothhydrophobicgroups(theirtails)and
hydrophilicgroups(theirheads).Therefore,asurfactantcontainsbothawaterinsoluble
(oroilsoluble)componentandawatersolublecomponent.Surfactantswilldiffusein
waterandadsorbatinterfacesbetweenairandwaterorattheinterfacebetweenoiland
water,inthecasewherewaterismixedwithoil.Thewaterinsolublehydrophobicgroup
mayextendoutofthebulkwaterphase,intotheairorintotheoilphase,whilethewater
solubleheadgroupremainsinthewaterphase.
Inthehydrocarbonreservoir,toimproveoilrecoveryusingchemicalmethods
suchassurfactants,whensurfactantisinjectedintothereservoir,thesurfactantmolecules
positionitselfattheinterfacebetweentheoilandwaterandformmicoremulsionatthe

interface.Theinterfacialtensionbecomesreducedthusmobilizingtheresidualoiloutof
thereservoirtothesurfaceleadingtoanimprovingoilrecovery.

QUESTION:
1. In a Du Nouy ring experiment, a circular ring with a 5 cm radius is used to determine the
surface tension of a liquid. An upward force of 3.6 x 10-2 N is required to lift the ring to
the point where it just breaks free of the surface. What is the surface tension of the liquid?

Solution.
Surfacetension

Where;

F max
4 R

=Surfacetension
Fmax =ForcemeasuredinNewton
R=radiusofthering,measuredinmeters.

Given
R=5cm=5/100=0.05m
Force=3.6 x 10-2 N
Surface tension of the liquid;
2
F max
3.6 10 N
=
= 4 0.05 m =0.057N/m
4 R

2. By referring to Q3, what are the factors that could change the surface tension
of the liquid?
Factors that could change the surface tension of the liquid include temperature,
oxidation and the presence of impurities on surface tension, addition of chemicals.
TemperatureAstemperaturedecreases,surfacetensionincreases.Conversely,
assurfacetensiondecreasesstrong;asmoleculesbecomemoreactivewithan
increaseintemperaturebecomingzeroatitsboilingpointandvanishingatcritical
temperature.
ChemicalAdditionsAddingchemicalstoaliquidwillchangeitssurface
tensioncharacteristics.Forexamples,increasingtheconcentrationofthe
surfactantwillincreasetheinterfacialtensionandviceversa.
PresenceofImpurities:Thepresenceoftheimpuritiesonthesurfactantcould
affectthesurfacetensionoftheliquid.Highcontentofimpuritiesonthe
surfactantwillincreasetheinterfacialtension.
3. Plot the graph of interfacial tension vs. surfactant concentration to see the
effects of surfactant on the interfacial tension.

Interfacial tension (dynes/cm)

0
-0.1

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

-0.2
-0.3
-0.4

Interfacial Tension

-0.41

-0.5
-0.6

-0.62

-0.7
-0.76

-0.8
-0.9

-0.76

-0.89

-1

Surfactant Concentration

From the graph, it shows that the interfacial tension decreases with an increasing
surfactant concentration. This is continues until the critical micelle concentration (CMC)
is reached then it becomes constant.

4. Explain how the interfacial tension are affected by concentration of

surfactant and give one example on how the effects of interfacial tension can
be observed in oil and gas production.

30%

In low concentrations, surfactants exist as isolated molecules. As the

concentration of the surfactant increases above a certain concentration called
CMC, some of the physical properties of the solution will change sharply as the
surfactant molecules come together spontaneously to form nano sized structures
called micelles.

For example if a surfactant is injected it disperses into oil and water and lowers
the interfacial tension, thereby increasing the capillary number. As a result more
of the otherwise immobile oil becomes mobile. At the same time an oil-in-water
emulsion may form, this leads to an improvement in the effective mobility ratio.
The injected surfactant continues to mobilize oil and bank it up until the
surfactant is diluted or otherwise lost due to adsorption by the rock until it is no
longer available to lower the interfacial tension and mobilize the oil.