Dependence of the Oil-Collecting and Oil-Dispersing Ability of Surfactants on the Kind of Alkyl Radicals in Their Head Group.

Ionic liquid (IL) surfactants were prepared from 1-bromododecane and ethanolamines (2-dimethyl- and 2-diethylethanolamines) in an equimolar ratio to reveal how their oil-collecting and dispersing ability is influenced by the structure of the alkyl fragment. The surface activity of the substances synthesized was studied tensiometrically, and the electrical conductivity, conductometrically. The effect exerted on the colloid-chemical parameters of the surfactants by the replacement of the methyl fragment in the head group by the ethyl fragment is described. The relative oil-collecting and oil-dispersing ability of these substances was evaluated under laboratory conditions by the example of a thin oil film on the surface of waters with different levels of mineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]