Surface and Interfacial Tensions of Oil-water Systems in Texas Oil Sands

The first person to investigate intensively the vast field of surfacephenomena and capillary effects was the eminent English scientist, LordRayleigh (1842–1919), who laid down most of the fundamentals of this subject.This work was greatly amplified by Irving Langmuir, who, in connection withresearch for the General Electric Co., spent 25 years on the study of thesurface chemistry of films, finally receiving the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for1932 in recognition of his work. At present, William Harkins, of the Universityof Chicago, is the world's foremost authority on surface-tension measurementand his independent work, when combined with that of Langmuir, resulted in theorientation concept of solubility and surface activity, which is now animportant fundamental in chemistry. The theory laid down by these men was firstapplied to practical considerations regarding petroleum reservoirs by F. E.Bartell, of the University of Michigan, in connection with an AmericanPetroleum Institute research grant. The latest and most advanced application ofBartell's work is contained in an article published in 1935 by Allen Garrisonof Rice Institute, in which he relates Bartell's measurements to the ratio ofoil to water produced by wells and shows the types of petroleum reservoirswhere the effects studied by Bartell are significant. This article is intendedas a minor extension of such work. Method The experimental work of this investigation involved determination of theviscosity of crude oil, specific gravity and surface tension of the crude oiland of connate water occurring with those oils, and interfacial tension betweenthe oil and the water, which occurred together. Because the volume of oil inmany of the samples was small, it was necessary to use the Ostwald pipette fordetermining viscosities, rather than the more familiar Saybolt universalviscosimeter. T.P. 1001