The Modification of Chrome Tanned Leather by Polyethylene Glycol-Linked Gemini Fatty Alcohol Phosphate

A series of polyethylene glycol-linked Gemini fatty alcohol phosphate surfactants (GFAP) were prepared with long chain n-alkanol (C = 8, 12, 16, 18), polyethylene glycol (PEG-200, PEG-400, PEG-600, PEG-800, PEG-1000) and phosphorus oxychloride (POCl₃). The structure of the prepared surfactants was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR). The surfactants were employed for the modification of chrome-tanned leather. The morphological changes of chrome-tanned leather and modified chrome-tanned leather were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The relationship between the alkyl chain length and molecular weight of the PEG and the hydrophobicity, softness, mechanical strength of modified chrome-tanned leather was also discussed. The experimental results showed that the mechanical strength and softness of modified chrome-tanned leather were enhanced with an increase of alkyl chain length, while the hydrophobicity, mechanical strength and softness were decreased with an increase of molecular weight of the PEG. The hydrophobicity, mechanical strength and softness of modified chrome-tanned leather were optimized for an alkyl chain length of 16. Therefore, 16–200 Gemini phosphate surfactants with an alkyl chain length of 16 and a PEG molecular weight of 200 have a good comprehensive modification effect on Chrome-tanned leather, the tensile strength, tear strength and softness of modified chrome-tanned leather are 57.07 N mm⁻², 79.49 N mm⁻¹, 9.73 mm, respectively.     

Development of a Stimuli-Responsive Gemini Zwitterionic Viscoelastic Surfactant for Self-Diverting Acid

A Gemini zwitterionic viscoelastic surfactant named self diverting acid - gemini sulfonated surfactant (SDA-GS), which has double quaternary ammonium groups, double sulfonate groups, and two hydrophobic tails, was synthesized from oleylamidopropyl dimethylamine, 1,3-propanesultone, and 2, 2-bis(bromomethyl)propane-1, 3-diol. The viscosity of an SDA-GS aqueous solution varies with acid and calcium chloride concentrations. With a decrease in the HCl concentration, the viscosity of the acid solution prepared with SDA-GS increases to a maximum value, followed by a decrease, which results from the aggregation of the surfactant into wormlike micelles and the following disaggregation. Calcium ions generated by the reaction of acid and calcium carbonate can enhance the aggregation of the surfactant to increase the peak viscosity of the acid solution. The peak viscosity of the acid solution prepared by 5 wt.% SDA-GS without calcium ions could only reach 73.2 mPa.s when the HCl concentration was 4 wt.%, but that of the acid solution with calcium carbonate powder added could reach over 200 mPa.s when the HCl concentration was consumed to 4 wt.% and the calcium chloride concentration 21.6 wt.%. The viscoelastic measurements proved that calcium ions can drive the growth of the wormlike micelle. The acid and Ca²⁺ response of SDA-GS can be applied in self-diverting acid to improve the acid displacement in the heterogeneous reservoir. Experimental evaluation showed that the acid solution prepared by SDA-GS and the selected corrosion inhibitor showed a good corrosion inhibition performance and a viscosity variation that makes it an efficient self-diverting acid. The spent acid (21.6 wt.%) with 4 wt.% HCl retained high viscosity over 80 mPa.s at a 170 s⁻¹ shearing rate and at 120°C after 90 min. The parallel core flood tests to simulate in situ application of SDA-GS acid showed that the permeability improvement ratios (K₁/K₀) of the cores could reach 182.3 and 278.4 at 60 and 90°C, respectively.     

Novel Gemini Cationic Surfactants: Thermodynamic,Antimicrobial Susceptibility,and Corrosion Inhibition Behavior against Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

The Egyptian oil and gas industry is suffering from severe metal corrosion problems, particularly microbial-induced corrosion. There is limited knowledge on the corrosion inhibition of carbon steels in the presence of an acidophilic, iron-oxidizing bacterial species Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Therefore, in this study, novel Gemini cationic surfactants, in three forms depending on variation in alkyl chains of 8, 12, and 16 carbon atoms named FHPAO, FHPAD, and FHPAH, respectively, were synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The surface parameters and the thermodynamic of the synthesized surfactants were evaluated at three different temperatures, 20, 40, and 60 °C. The synthesized Gemini cationic surfactants were tested as broad-spectrum antimicrobial, antibacterial and anticandida agents. They evaluated as biocides and corrosion inhibitors against Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. FHPAD showed higher adsorption ability at the solution interface and higher affinity to construct micelles than FHPAO and FHPAH. Both adsorption and micellization processes were hydrophobic and temperature dependent. FHPAO, FHPAD and FHPAH exhibited wide-spectrum antimicrobial activities, and the highest activity and the lowest minimum bactericidal/fungicidal inhibitory concentrations were attributed to FHPAD. Furthermore, synthesized FHPAD demonstrated the highest metal corrosion inhibition efficiency of 95.5% at 5 mM in comparison to 87.5% and 81.7% for FHPAO and FHPAH, respectively. In conclusion, this study provides novel synthesized cationic surfactants with many applications in the oil and gas industry, such as broad-spectrum antimicrobial, biocides, and corrosion inhibitors for acidophilic, iron-oxidizing bacterial species Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Evaluation of the Surface Active Properties of Novel Cationic Imidazolium Gemini Surfactants

New imidazolium gemini surfactants were synthesized by reaction of epichlorohydrin with long chain fatty alcohols furnishing products 2-(alkoxymethyl)oxirane followed by their subsequent treatment with imidazole resulting in the formation of 1-(1H-imidazol-1-yl-3 alkoxy)propane-2-ol which on subsequent treatment with 1,2-dibromoethane and 1,3-dibromopropane resulted in the formation of title gemini surfactants:1,2-bis(1(3-alkoxy-2-hydroxypropyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium)ethane bromide (7), 1,3-bis(1(3-alkoxy-2-hydroxypropyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium)propane bromide (8), 1,2-bis(1(3-alkoxy-2-hydroxypropyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium)ethane bromide (9), 1,3-bis(1(3-alkoxy-2-hydroxypropyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium)propane bromide (10), 1,2-bis (1(3-alkoxy-2-hydroxypropyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium)ethane bromide (11) and 1,3-bis (1(3-alkoxy-2-hydroxypropyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium)propane bromide (12). Their identification was based on IR, ¹H-, ¹³C-NMR, DEPT, COSY and mass spectral studies. Their surface active properties were also evaluated on the basis of surface tension and conductivity measurements.     

Effect of Hydrophobicity and Temperature on the Interactions in the Mixed Micelles of Triblock Polymers [(EO76PO29EO76) and (EO19PO69EO19)] with Monomeric and Gemini Surfactants

The interactions in the mixed micelles of two triblock polymers, F68 (EO₇₆PO₂₉EO₇₆) and P123 (EO₁₉PO₆₉EO₁₉), with a series of monomeric (dodecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, tetradecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide) and gemini {dimethylene bis(alkyldimethyl ammonium bromide), m-2-m, where m = 10, 12 and 14} cationic surfactants were studied by surface tension and viscosity measurements in aqueous solutions at different temperatures. The mixed micellar and interfacial properties of the binary mixtures were analyzed using Clint, Rubingh, Rosen and Maeda approaches. Both F68 and P123 show weak interactions with the studied cationic surfactants at 298.15 K which become favorable (synergistic) at higher temperatures. Further, the synergistic interactions are more in mixtures of P123 than F68 at higher temperatures. A comparison of the effects of number of EO and PO blocks in triblock polymers on various physicochemical parameters of the mixed micelles has also been made. The unfavorable enthalpy changes are compensated by favorable entropy changes as a result of the hydrophobic effect. The relative viscosity (η _r) studies show that the size of the micelles formed by pure P123 is smaller than those of F68. The values of η _r for the mixed micelles of F68 show significant variation with chain length of gemini surfactants whereas no such effect is seen in mixtures with P123.