ORIGINAL ARTICLE Synthesis of Animal Fats Ethylolamides, Ethylolamide Phosphates and Their Petroleum-Collecting and Dispersing Properties Ziyafaddin H. Asadov • Ravan A. Rahimov • Nargiz V. Salamova Received: 26 April 2011 / Revised: 13 August 2011 / Accepted: 16 August 2011 / Published online: 7 September 2011 Ó AOCS 2011 Abstract Ethylolamides of animal (beef and mutton) fats have been synthesized and modified with H 3 PO 4 . The identity of these products was confirmed by IR and NMR spectroscopy. The physical properties of the synthesized surfactants including interfacial tension and critical micelle concentration (CMC) were studied. From these measure- ments, the maximum surface excess concentration and the minimum area per molecule at the kerosene solution/water interface, the surface pressure at the CMC, and the standard thermodynamic parameters of adsorption and micellization were calculated. Ethylolamides and ethylolamide phos- phates were obtained and tested as petroleum-collecting and petroleum-dispersing reagents. Some correlations between these parameters of the ethylol units and their ability to collect thin petroleum films from the water sur- face were revealed. Keywords Nonionic and anionic surfactants  Animal fats  Ethylolamides  Ethylolamide phosphates  Petroleum-collection  Petroleum-dispersing  Micellization  Adsorption Abbreviations CMC Critical micelle concentration BFDEA Beef fat diethylolamide BFDEAPh Beef fat diethylolamide phosphate BFMEA Beef fat monoethylolamide BFMEAPh Beef fat monoethylolamide phosphate DEA Diethanolamine MEA Monoethanolamine MFDEA Mutton fat diethylolamide MFDEAPh Mutton fat diethylolamide phosphate MFMEA Mutton fat monoethylolamide MFMEAPh Mutton fat monoethylolamide phosphate Introduction The extensive carrying of crude oil and its products across the oceans has increased concerns about the effects of accidental spillage of petroleum hydrocarbons in the mar- ine environment. Major marine oil spills highlight the need for cost-effective and environmentally responsible ways for their liquidation. Similar oil spill incidents world wide indicate that the ‘first-minute response’ principle plays a key role as a environmentally safe and cost-effective response to marine oil spills [1]. The economic and envi- ronmental impact of oil spills on coastal areas can be immense. Oil spill occurrences may result in loss of hab- itats for economically important species of fish, other marine animals, and damage to sensitive wetlands along the coast. Recovery of the environment from an oil spill can take many years, so there is a considerable incentive to clean up these areas quickly after a spill, but the efforts can be expensive and themselves destructive [2]. One oil spill response tactic is the use of dispersants. Dispersants are designed to disperse an oil slick chemically so that the oil enters the water column, minimizing the possibility of being washed up on shorelines. As wave energy is applied to the chemically dispersed oil when using the dispersants at sea, the slick breaks up into small droplets that disperse into the water column [3]. Disper- sants may enhance oil bio-availability by creating a greater Z. H. Asadov  R. A. Rahimov (&)  N. V. Salamova Institute of Petrochemical Processes, National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, Hojaly ave. 30, Az 1025 Baku, Azerbaijan e-mail: revan_chem@mail.ru 123 J Am Oil Chem Soc (2012) 89:505–511 DOI 10.1007/s11746-011-1931-8