An absolute droplet pressure interfacial tensiometer and its application to bituminous systems of vanishing density contrast

Experimental problems preclude or limit measurements of interfacial tension in bitumen or extra-heavy crude oil-containing systems when there exists a vanishing density difference between the phases. We describe a novel droplet pressure method that allows such measurements to be made. This method is based on a liquid/liquid adaptation of the capillary displacement differential maximum bubble pressure surface tension method of Schramm and Green 29]. In this method, interfacial tension is calculated from the difference between maximum droplet pressures reached at capillaries of differing internal radii, immersed to slightly different depths. The elimination of the influence of liquid densities allows the measurement of interfacial tensions without independently determining the liquid densities, and in particular, permits measurements in systems for which the density difference is vanishingly small. The absolute measuring technique is illustrated for several systems of pure and practical liquids. Received: 8 March 2000/Accepted: 30 May 2000