Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Surface Tension of Crude Oils Containing Dissolved Gases

1943; Volume: 6; Issue: 05 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2118/943503-g

0369-9013

David L. Katz, R. R. Monroe, R. P. Trainer,

Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics

Abstract A formula for computing the surface tension of hydrocarbon mixtures has been developed based upon recent measurements of surface tension for the methane-propane system. Data on n-butane gasoline mixtures have been used to demonstrate that the formula applies to complex mixtures. Surface-tension data on heptane and heavier fractions of the equilibrium liquids containing dissolved gases previously reported permitted computation of the surface tension for these oil-gas systems at pressures to 8200 lb. per sq. in. The surface tension for crude oils containing dissolved gases at pressures above 3000 lb. per sq. in. may be expected to be below 2 or 3 dynes per centimeter and may be below 0.1 dyne per centimeter. Introduction The tension at the surface of a liquid in contact with a vapor is responsible for capillary action of liquids in porous solids. Methods of measuring surface tension either at atmospheric pressure or at elevated pressures are available. However, these measurements require rather elaborate apparatus and painstaking efforts to obtain reliable data, therefore it is desirable to have a method by which the surface tension of crude oils containing dissolved gases may be computed from the fractional analysis of the liquid. Recent measurements on the surface tension of the methane-propane system under pressure have provided the basis for the establishment of a relationship by which the surface tension of hydrocarbon mixtures may be predicted from fractional analyses.