Influences of water treatment agents on oil-water interfacial properties of oilfield produced water

The emulsion stability of oilfield produced water is related to the oil-water interfacial film strength and the zeta potential of the oil droplets. We investigated the effects of water treatment agents (corrosion inhibitor SL-2, scale inhibitor HEDP, germicide 1227, and fiocculant polyaluminium chloride PAC) on the stability of oilfield produced water. The influence of these treatment agents on oil-water interfacial properties and the mechanism of these agents acting on the oilfield produced water were studied by measuring the interfacial shear viscosity, interfacial tension and zeta electric potential. The results indicated that the scale inhibitor HEDP could increase the oil-water interfacial film strength, and it could also increase the absolute value of the zeta potential of oil droplets. HEDP played an important role in the stability of the emulsion. Polyaluminum chloride (PAC) reduced the stability of the emulsion by considerably decreasing the absolute value of the zeta potential of oil droplets. Corrosion inhibitor SL-2 and germicide 1227 could decrease the oil-water interfacial tension, whereas they had little influence on oil-water interfacial shear viscosity and oil-water interfacial electricity properties.