Bottle test observations

By far, the most successful means of selecting chemicals involves adding the various chemicals to samples of the emulsion and observing the results. Hus is commonly called-the bottle test. Fig. 4. It is not a foolproof approach but run by a competent person with sufficient care, it will give a good answer. There has been much criticism of the bottle test, but this stems mostly from a lack of understanding of the test. 

Particle Size. After determining, with bottle tests, which systems easily produced stable oil-in-water emulsions, the droplet size distributions for the oil-in-water emulsions were determined with a Model TA II Coulter Counter. The quantitative results obtained with the Coulter Counter were verified by qualitative observations with an optical microscope. The droplet size distributions for several oil-in-water emulsions are given in Figure 5. A qualitative correlation between droplet size and emulsion stability was observed. The smaller the median droplet size, the more stable was the emulsion. The pore size distribution for a 300-md Berea sandstone core is given for comparison. 

Observations. The following are the more important characteristics and observations of effective demulsification bottle tests. 

Liu et al. (2006b) conducted bottle tests to emulsify a heavy oil using the alkali Na2C03. They used the surfactant S4, which is alkyl ether surfactant with a molecular weight of 441. The heavy oil viscosity was 1800 mPa s at 22°C. They first used 0.15 to 1.2% NaaCOs solution and 1 to 2000 ppm S4 solution separately. In these tests, the heavy oil could not be emulsified in either alkaline solution or surfactant solution. However, when they used 50 ppm S4 and 0.15 to 1.2% NaaCOs together, they observed emulsification. 

The bottling and storage procedures followed those previously tested in the preliminary investigations (see section on background of the project). Acidified suprapure water contained in the LPE bottles was discarded. The volume of soaking liquid which remained in the bottles was observed to be minimal and therefore no rinsing step with sample was considered to be necessary. The bottles were filled directly using the peristaltic pump and closed with LPE caps. 

It is noteworthy that microcalorimetry could, therefore, be easily used to compare the thermal stability of oil-based muds while even bottle tests did not allow us to observe the coalescence of droplets. 

Another approach is to use a sophisticated viscometer, a rheo-goniometer, to monitor a parameter referred to as G, the storage modulus. In this method, properties are measured under an imposed oscillatory shear. Alternatively, for screening purposes, simple bottle tests can be used in which the gel solution behavior is observed when a bottle holding a gel is tilted in a specified way or inverted. ... 

Two kinds of tests should be carried out to determine the effects of mixing if the chemical structure of each additive is not already known. A bottle test should be carried out in which relatively concentrated solutions of the two additives are mixed and observed for gross reactions, such as the formation of a precipitate. 

In an early pioneering study, Gathergood et prepared 35 combinations of dially-limidazolium-based ionic liquids with five different anions (Br", Bp4 , PFg , N(CN)2 and bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide). The investigators applied the Modified Sturm Test (OECD 301 B) and the Closed Bottle test (OECD 301 D). Both test procedures are relatively simple in which the ionic liquid is added to an aerobic aqueous solution that has been inoculated with wastewater microorganisms. In OECD 301 B, the evolution of carbon dioxide is measured whereas the depletion of dissolved oxygen is measured in OECD 301 D. Gathergood et al. observed that none of the ionic liquids could be classified as... 

Note The Observation Test was intended to detect the initial decompn of propint, and was conducted at ail depots and posts where powder was stored. A 6oz sample of each lot of powder with a strip of methyl violet test paper was placed in a glass-stoppered bottle, with the paper not in contact with the powder. The test was conducted in the magazine in which the proplnt under test was stored. Bleaching of the test paper was taken as an indication that the powder had started to de-... 

Another preservative used in the analysis of non-ionic surfactants is sodium azide (NaNs), normally used at a concentration of 100 mg L-1. Kiewiet et al. [11] tested much higher concentrations and found that 0.01 M (650 mg LT1) sodium azide could not prevent substantial losses of the alcohol ethoxylates, probably due to the fact that sodium azide is only an inhibitor for aerobic degradation. However, in closed bottles, anaerobic degradation processes could play an important role as well. They observed substantial losses (17-81%) of non-ionic surfactants during transport and seven days storage of the wastewater samples. 

DMSO could be used as an alternative vehicle control if test compounds are not soluble in DMF. However, DMSO-related malformations have been observed. Therefore, only DMSO that has achieved redox equilibrium is recommended (typically a bottle opened at least 2 years before). The batch of DMSO shonld have been tested in the WEC before nsed as solvent in a formal study (6). 

Place (he bottle with contents in a chamber maintained at 65.5°il°C (See Fig oa p 28 of Ref 12 and on p 49 of Ref 13), the air in which is preferably maintained in constant circulation After (he bottle with contents has been heated for 24 hrs, reseat (he stopper. Make daily observation of the appearance of the sample and note the number of days required to cause (he liberation of visible reddish or brownish fumes of oxides of nitrogen Note It has been customary to consider any proplnt having a test value of 90 days or less to be of definitely impaired stability and any proplnt having a test value of 20 days or less to be sufficiently unstable as to require destruction or salvage... 

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