Abstract: A method to determine the amount of oil, including dispersed oil, in water at low levels wherein a surfactant is first mixed with water which may contain dispersed oil, the surfactant comprising a non-aromatic surfactant able to solubilize into water the particular oil being tested for, and comparing the emission fluorescence of the surfactant/water mixture to previous correlations drawn between known amounts of oil in water and their emission fluorescence under similar conditions.

Abstract: The invention is a method of producing water soluble surfactants from lignin, which comprises alkylating lignin at phenolic oxygen sites with an alkyl chain having about 3 to about 24 carbon atoms, sulfonating the alkylated lignin, and oxidizing the alkylated, sulfonated lignin sufficiently to break the lignin into smaller polymeric and monomeric compounds having water soluble surfactant properties. The invention also includes using these alkylated, sulfonated, oxidized lignin surfactants in surfactant floods for enhanced oil recovery.

Abstract: The invention is a method of producing surfactants from lignin which comprises subjecting lignin to two reactions, alkylation with an alkyl chain having about 3 to about 24 carbon atoms at phenolic sites, and oxidation sufficient to break the lignin into smaller polymeric and monomeric units. The invention also includes using these lignin surfactants in surfactant floods for enhanced oil recovery.

Abstract: The invention is a method of producing surfactants from lignin which comprises subjecting lignin to two reactions, alkylation with an alkyl chain having about 3 to about 24 carbon atoms at phenolic sites, and oxidation sufficient to break the lignin into smaller polymeric and monomeric units. The invention also includes using these lignin surfactants in surfactant floods for enhanced oil recovery.

Abstract: The permeability of an underground formation near a wellbore can be substantially decreased by the injection of one or more slugs of an aqueous solution containing an in situ forming gel of lignosulfonate and a monomer of acrylamide or acrylic acid, initiated by persulfate or hydroxylamine and a relatively small amount of a metal salt having a polyvalent cation. The gel can be formed in the formation by delaying the mixing of all of the gel components into the aqueous solution until just prior to injection or splitting up the components into two aqueous solutions so that they are not mixed until they are in the formation.

Abstract: Stabilizer precursors which comprise triarylphosphines and triarylphosphoranes and which, upon being heated to a temperature above about 100.degree. C., release a phosphorous compound silver halide stabilizer that is useful in a heat stabilizable photographic silver halide material comprising photographic silver halide. A stabilized image is produced in the photographic material following exposure and development by heating the material to processing temperature. The triarylphosphines and triarylphosphoranes are useful in a dry physical development photographic material and process. Alternatively, the triarylphosphines and triarylphosphoranes are useful in a dry chemical photographic material and process.

Abstract: An activator-stabilizer precursor which comprises a certain acylhydrazine which releases a base moiety upon being heated to a temperature above about 130.degree. C. provides improved heat developable and heat stabilizable photographic materials comprising, in binder, and in reactive association, (a) a photosensitive silver salt, (b) a photosensitive silver salt developing agent, and (c) a stabilizing concentration of the described activator-stabilizer precursor having an acid portion and a base portion. The heat developable and heat stabilizable photographic element provides essential freedom from visual crystal formation in the processed photographic element. After imagewise exposure, a developed and stabilized image can be produced in the photographic element by heating the element to processing temperature.