Viscoelastic Surfactants are smaller molecules with a molecular weight below a thousand, less than guars.
They are composed of a hydrophilic head group and a long hydrophobic tail that generate highly temperature-stable foams, impart excellent Interfacial tension reduction and create a non-damaging and reversible viscous gel-structure that can also reduce friction and have a positive impact on overall lubricity of the fluid.
Applications
- Reduce the surface tension between water and oil
- It allows more oil to be extracted from porous rock underground
- It shows minimal pressure drop in the pipe during placement
