Synthesis of Bis[<i>N</i>,<i>N</i>′‐(alkylamideethyl)ethyl] Triethylenediamine Bromide Surfactants and Their Oilfield Application Investigation

Abstract

Abstract Bis[ N , N ′‐(alkylamideethyl)ethyl] triethylenediamine surfactants are quaternary ammonium salt Gemini surfactants with amide, which are synthesized from fatty acid (dodecanoic, hexadecanoic, tetradecanoic and octadecanoic) methyl esters, triethylene tetramine and ethyl bromide. The chemical structures of the prepared compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR and 1 H‐NMR spectra, melting point and Krafft point. Several properties of the synthesized surfactants were studied including surface tension, critical micelle concentration, interfacial tension, emulsification power, salt effect, corrosion inhibition efficiency and biological activity. The results show that the surface activity, critical micelle concentration and interfacial activity are correlated to their chemical structures. The emulsification power measurements of these surfactants show their low emulsifying tendency towards Tazhong's crude oil from Tarim Oilfield. The synthesized surfactants also exhibit high biocidal activity towards Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria and fungi. This activity increases with the increase of alkyl chain length. The corrosion measurement of these surfactants in acidic media with a weight loss technique show good protection of mild steel alloys against acidic environments. These properties suggest that the synthesized compounds have potential for application in the oilfield area.