Surfactants for producing low interfacial tensions: II. Linear alkylbenzenesulfonates with additional alkyl substituents

Abstract

Abstract The synthesis and low interfacial tension behavior of a variety of di‐ and trialkylbenzenesulfonates are described. The benzene ring carries one major alkyl substituent, consisting of a linear chain eight to sixteen carbon atoms long, and one or two additional methyl, ethyl, propyl, i‐propyl, butyl, or t‐butyl groups. The addition of these extra groups causes the low interfacial tensions to shift to higher molecular weight alkanes when compared to the parent linear alkylbenzenesulfonate. Surfactants in these structural classes can give very low interfacial tensions against those alkanes which best model the behavior of crude oils, but this is influenced by the number and type of the short alkyl substituents. These surfactant structures are more attractive from the point of view of tertiary oil recovery than linear alkylbenzenesulfonates.