WETTABILITY OF RESERVOIR MINERALS BY FLOTATION AND CORRELATION WITH SURFACTANT ADSORPTION.

Minerals can undergo significant alterations in wettability upon adsorption of surfactants on them. A method that appears promising for measuring wettability is flotation using air or oil extraction. Unlike contact angle, it does not require such drastic treatments as polishing. Good correlation is obtained in the present study between wettability as determined by flotation and adsorption density. Both air flotation and adsorption exhibit maxima in the same concentration range. It is found that a combined approach using adsorption, wettability, zeta potential and surface tension shows promise as a valuable method for the study of mechanisms of interaction of surface active agents with minerals.