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Updated: Mar 24, 2026
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Studying Surfactant Effects on Hydrate Crystallization at Oil-Water Interfaces Using a Low-Cost Integrated Modular Peltier Device
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Enhanced Stability and Release Efficiency of an Emulsion Drag Reducer Using a pH-Responsive Rigid Piperazine Ring
Xiaoxia Zheng1, Yong Zhang1, Feng Huang2
1College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, P. R. China.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|March 23, 2026
Summary
A novel pH-responsive Gemini surfactant enhances polyacrylamide (PAM) emulsion drag reducers for improved oil and gas reservoir stimulation. This breakthrough addresses poor dissolution efficiency, enabling stable emulsions and rapid release for effective fracturing fluid turbulence suppression.
Area of Science:
- Petroleum Engineering
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Growing petroleum demand necessitates exploration in unconventional reservoirs.
- Polyacrylamide (PAM) emulsion drag reducers improve reservoir stimulation but suffer from poor dissolution efficiency.
- Existing single-chain-responsive surfactants face challenges balancing storage stability and rapid release.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize a pH-responsive Gemini surfactant for enhanced PAM emulsion drag reducers.
- To improve the stability and dissolution efficiency of PAM emulsions for reservoir stimulation.
- To reconcile long-term storage stability with rapid release performance.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a pH-responsive Gemini surfactant (PA/OA) using piperazine and oleic acid.
- Stabilization of monomer emulsions and inverse emulsion polymerization of PAM.
- Evaluation of emulsion stability, surface activity, and drag reduction performance at varying pH levels.
Main Results:
- The PA/OA-stabilized monomer emulsion showed excellent stability (>50 days at pH 7.0).
- Successful inverse emulsion polymerization of PAM was achieved.
- The Gemini surfactant demonstrated pH-responsive rapid release (most released within 30 s at pH 10.0) and high drag reduction (68% at 0.05 wt %).
Conclusions:
- The synthesized PA/OA Gemini surfactant provides superior stability and rapid release performance for PAM emulsion drag reducers.
- This pH-responsive system effectively overcomes the limitations of conventional drag reducers in reservoir stimulation.
- The study presents a promising strategy for developing advanced fracturing fluids for unconventional oil and gas exploration.
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