Amine oxide: synthesis and analysis

Surfactants have found their application practically in the entire oil and gas industry at the present stage of global development. Surfactants are actively used in oil and gas production processes, in the transport and storage of produced resources and in a wide range of petrochemical and refining processes. The most interesting for oil and gas applications are zwitterionic surfactants. However, many of them are obtained using organochlorine compounds, with its negative effects on the refining processes. Therefore, the development and processes of the organochlorin free surfactants production are an urgent problem of oil and gas industry.

The fact that light organochlorine compounds are absent in the entire production process of amine oxides makes these compounds promising zwitterionic surfactants. Furthermore, the initial raw materials for their synthesis are vegetable and animal fats, which make them environmental friendly.

The laboratory synthesis of zwitterionic surfactant – alkylamidopropyldimethylamine (AADAO), as well as the analysis of final products, is presented in this work.

The synthesis products in comparison with the original amine were analyzed with the help of Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy on a Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS10 spectrometer and potentiometric titration.

Positive results were obtained in the synthesis of alkylamidopropyldimethylamine oxide. In the future, given optimal performance and favorable economic indicators, AADAO has the potential to become a highly successful viscoelastic surfactant in the oil and gas industry.