Martin A. Hubbe, North Carolina State University
Martin A. Hubbe and Orlando J. Rojas, Dept. of Wood and Paper Science, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8005, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8005; hubbe@ncsu.edu; (919) 513-3022
Substantial progress was achieved during this project related to the fundamentals of permeation into mesoporous material by probe molecules. Our project goal has been to better understand the potential roles of polyelectrolytes and surface-active agents in porous media for oil recovery. Such understanding is needed to develop more effective oil recovery strategies, especially in cases where those strategies involve the use of polyelectrolytes in the flooding solutions. Our results will help guide the formulation of smart additives to be injected into a wellbore and accomplish various objectives in a controlled way – by either promoting or resisting permeation of materials through different zones of a formation, or even in the lining adjacent to the wellbore. Results of the present work are part of an effort to reveal ways in which relevant additives can be used to influence permeability, depending on medium pore diameter and various controllable factors. Current work focuses on the feasibility of practical applications of our findings – with particular attention to issues surrounding the collection of oil by mesoporous cellulosic sorbents.
Progress during Years 1-3 of Project
In the project’s first through third year, we achieved significant progress towards the goal of evaluating factors affecting permeation of probe molecules into very small pores, representing those that exist within a mineral bed. The most significant milestones that were achieved so far in the project were as follows:
A breakthrough was achieved in observing, for the first time, a trend towards more negative streaming potentials following placement of silica gel conditioned with cationic polyelectrolytes into aqueous polyelectrolyte-free solution in the presence of salt. The inferred polymer desorption is not ordinarily observed in cases where polyelectrolytes adsorb onto the outer surfaces of granular materials, but recent thermodynamic studies and simulation work have predicted such behavior in the case of pores that are smaller than the bulk-phase radius of gyration of a polyelectrolyte.
Our preliminary observations indicated that the presence of a layer of a high-mass polyelectrolyte coating the exterior surface of a nanoporous material can inhibit penetration of lower-mass probe molecules having the same electrical charge. Understanding and controlling such phenomenon can help to influence the progress of different solutes permeating through different zones of an oilfield operation.
The last part of the project work (as a no-cost extension of the project) is concentrating on some kinetic effects, carrying out confirmatory tests in the form of adsorption isotherms. Also we will be writing up a series of articles. One major review article has been published related to the field of work. Three project-related peer-reviewed articles have been produced.
Impact of Work on Career of Investigator and Student
As a result of the PRF-funded project work, the principal investigators have been able to improve the fundamental depth of their research efforts. There has been a meaningful shift in focus in the direction of materials science and application of emerging research tools. This shift has been fun and it also has opened up many opportunities for collaborations with investigators from other disciplines. The technical content of the current work – related to permeation of polyelectrolytes in narrow pore spaces – has also been beneficial to us in forging some new research initiatives in the areas of environmental remediation and in the efficient dewatering of cellulosic fiber suspensions.
The graduate student who has undertaken most of the project work has benefitted greatly from the opportunity. In addition to learning to run gel permeation chromatography (GPC), streaming potential analysis, and adsorption isotherm experiments, she has become fluent in the analysis and interpretation of the data produced by such methods. She will have earned a Master of Science degree, and will be very well prepared to start PhD work.
Copyright © American Chemical Society