Study on Stability and Treatment of Surfactant/Polymer Flooding Waste Water

Abstract

Surfactant is mainly responsible for the stability of oil droplets in surfactant/polymer flooding waste water compared with polymer, decreasing oil-water interfacial tension, and zeta potential on the surface of the oil droplets. Flocculation and demulsification were conducted to remove the stable oil droplets. Demulsifier reverse phase demulsifer-E (RPDE) together with flocculant cationic polyacrylamide is effective in accelerating the coalescence of small oil droplets in surfactant/polymer flooding waste water due to synergistic effect of demulsification and flocculation.