Research on factors affecting heavy oil-in-water emulsion rheology and pressure drop

The effects of the types and contents of surfactants, alkali types and concentrations, oil-water ratios, mixing speeds, and emulsifying temperatures on the rheology of heavy oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions were studied. The experimental results showed that the apparent viscosity increased as the formulated surfactant content increased. The organic/inorganic alkali played a twofold role in the apparent viscosity of the O/W emulsion, promoting the ionization of these interfacial active components and compressing the diffused double layer, the competition of which determined whether the apparent viscosity increased or decreased. With increasing oil-water ratios, the apparent viscosity increased, whereas an increase in the emulsifying temperature resulted in a decrease of the apparent viscosity. When the mixing speed was increased from 500 to 1000?r/min, the apparent viscosity increased. However, the apparent viscosity changed minimally for mixing speeds in the range of 1000–1500?r/min. To further discuss the impacts of these factors on the emulsion rheology and pressure drop, the results of an orthogonal test were analyzed through ANOVA using SPSS software; the pressure drops in the samples were calculated using Matlab software. The results demonstrated that the effects of the oil-water ratios on emulsion viscosity and pressure drop were the most prominent.