COAL ENGINEERING ›› 2018, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (1): 113-116.doi: 10.11799/ce201801031

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Study on foaming properties of a cationic surfactant CTAB

  

  • Received:2016-11-14 Revised:2016-12-19 Online:2018-01-20 Published:2018-04-18

Abstract: The addition of frother is a crucial method to adjust the foam properties. To research the foam decay process of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide(CTAB), the foaming rate, foam volume, content of liquid and drainage rate were tested using FoamScan, and relationship between the surface tension and the foam properties were analyzed. The results showed that the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of CTAB was 0.90mmol/L. The foaming rate initially increased with an increasein solution concentration, then reached to be a maximum value which is 0.09 mL?(mL?s)-1 at CMC. Interestingly, the trend of foaming time versus concentration was opposite to the foaming rate versus concentration, and the minimum foaming time was 38s. At low concentrations, the foam stability increased with increasing CTAB concentration and reached the most stable stage at CMC, but appeared a little decrease when solution concentration exceeded the CMC.Frothers adjust the stability of foam by affecting the foam decay process, especially the foaming and decay processes would be unchanged when solution concentration reaches to CMC.

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