Viscosity Measurement and Predictive Modeling of Binary Emulsifier Blends

Viscosity represents a critical property of emulsifiers in emulsion explosives. This study systematically evaluated the viscosity characteristics of binary emulsifier blends comprising sorbitan monooleate (S-80) and polyisobutylene succinic anhydride derivatives (BEF). The kinematic viscosities of various blends of S-80 and BEF were measured across different temperatures using an Ubbelohde viscometer. Temperature-viscosity relationships were analyzed using Andrade’s and Walther’s equations, demonstrating excellent linear fitting coefficients ( R 2 >0.99) within the range of 313 K to 353 K and confirming typical Newtonian fluid behavior. Two distinct modeling approaches were compared: blending models with viscosity index (Refutas and Chevron models) and pure blending models (Arrhenius, Walther, Kendall-Monroe, Bingham, and Cragoe models). The theoretical values calculated by the Refutas and Chevron models are slightly higher than the experimental measurements. Among the pure blending models, significant variations in predictive accuracy were observed. The Bingham model emerged as the most reliable, yielding average absolute relative deviations ( AARD ) from 3.18% to 5.60%. These findings establish the Bingham model as the recommended approach for viscosity prediction in S-80 and BEF binary systems.