Article
Energy & Fuels
Kun Yang, Fu-Yong Wang, Jiu-Yu Zhao
Summary: Based on high-pressure mercury injection and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments, this study describes the pore distribution of tight sandstone. The influence of fractures, core porosity and permeability, and surfactants on the spontaneous imbibition of tight sandstone is investigated. The findings show that fractures can effectively reduce oil drop adsorption on the core surface, increasing the imbibition recovery rate. Enhanced pore connectivity, higher core porosity and permeability, and the use of surfactants contribute to improved imbibition recovery of tight oil reservoirs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Bin Pan, Christopher R. Clarkson, Adnan Younis, Chengyao Song, Chris Debuhr, Amin Ghanizadeh, Viola I. Birss
Summary: This study developed new methods to evaluate the impacts of osmotic pressure and surfactant on fracturing fluid loss in unconventional reservoirs. The findings showed significant and rapid effects of osmotic pressure on fluid loss in clay-rich shale samples, with cationic surfactant increasing fluid loss by 46% in the studied samples. The pore contact angle was found to be more reliable for scaling laboratory spontaneous imbibition data compared to the macro and micro contact angles.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bin Pan, Christopher R. Clarkson, Marwa Atwa, Chris Debuhr, Amin Ghanizadeh, Viola I. Birss
Summary: The classical Lucas-Washburn equation is not suitable to describe the wetting dynamics of nanoliter water droplets in nanoporous media. A new theoretical model has been developed to characterize this dynamics, demonstrating that spontaneous imbibition of a nanoliter droplet can occur even on an intrinsically hydrophobic nanoporous substrate if capillary condensation has occurred internally.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yang Liu, Wenbo Gong, Yu Zhao, Xu Jin, Moran Wang
Summary: The paper introduces a pore-throat segmentation method based on local hydraulic resistance equivalence for extracting pore network models. After validation, the method is applied to real porous materials and shows good agreement with experimental data and simulation results. The proposed method significantly improves the accuracy of pore network model predictions and is suitable for more complex applications.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jie Wang, Jianzhong Zhang, Libin Song, Houshun Jiang, Hualei Xu, Kai Yang, Wenli Ke
Summary: Adding nano-surfactants to fracturing fluid can enhance oil sweep efficiency and spontaneous imbibition replacement efficiency. It was found that nano-surfactants with small particle size, low IFT values, and good wetting modification effect can effectively improve the replacement efficiency. Anionic nano-surfactants at appropriate concentrations are beneficial for enhancing the imbibition replacement efficiency.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Martin Mal'a, Vladimir Greif
Summary: This study examines the impact of frost damage in hard rocks on landscape geo-relief and introduces a non-destructive method for assessing an important parameter in rock pore connectivity. By conducting spontaneous imbibition testing and freeze-thaw cycling, the research investigates the variation in permeability and pore interconnectivity in rocks.
BULLETIN OF ENGINEERING GEOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ehsan Shahbazi, Ali Moradzadeh, Sabber Khandoozi, Masoud Riazi
Summary: This study investigates the synergistic effect of a modified brine solution and a cationic surfactant on the wettability of carbonate rock formations. The results demonstrate that these chemicals can alter the wettability from oil-wet to water-wet, leading to a significant increase in oil recovery. Additionally, different scenarios for low oil recovery during surfactant imbibition are considered, including variations in surfactant concentration, oil snap-off phenomenon, and asphaltene deposition and pore plugging.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Reza Khoramian, Riyaz Kharrat, Peyman Pourafshary, Saeed Golshokooh, Fatemeh Hashemi
Summary: Organic surfactants have been used with different nanoparticles in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations. This study introduces a natural and cost-effective surfactant called Azarboo for modifying the surface traits of silica nanoparticles. The hybrid application of Azarboo surfactant and amine-modified silica nanoparticles led to improved wettability and higher oil recovery.
Review
Energy & Fuels
Xiaolong Peng, Xiangzeng Wang, Xiang Zhou, Zeyu Lin, Fanhua Zeng, Xiaoliang Huang
Summary: Imbibition is a dominant mechanism for oil recovery in waterflooded tight oil formations. However, there are challenges in studying imbibition mechanisms in tight oil formations using micro/nanomodels, such as the representability of channel designs, wettability issues, and surface roughness effects.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Bao Cao, Xiangguo Lu, Kun Xie, Hongna Ding, Zhongmin Xiao, Weijia Cao, Yanxia Zhou, Xin He, Yu Li, Hongru Li
Summary: The imbibition of water with surfactants is important for enhanced oil recovery in tight sandstone reservoirs. This study investigated the migration behaviors of water and oil in different-sized pores, as well as the mechanisms of spontaneous and forced imbibition with different surfactants. It was found that surfactants increased oil recovery, especially in mesopores and macropores. However, low-IFT surfactants reduced oil recovery in micropores. Forced imbibition enhanced water imbibition into micropores but prevented oil extraction from mesopores and macropores.
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Dengke Liu, Dazhong Ren, Kun Du, Yiru Qi, Feng Ye
Summary: This research reveals that hydrophilic minerals can increase imbibition efficiency, and the development of tiny pores makes oil more easily replaced. Additionally, the enhancement of pore connectivity can also promote spontaneous imbibition.
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Chao-Zhong Qin, Xin Wang, Mahmoud Hefny, Jianlin Zhao, Sidian Chen, Bo Guo
Summary: Spontaneous imbibition is important in various subsurface and industrial applications, but the pore-scale wetting dynamics and its scaling to the Darcy model are still unresolved. It is found that pore-scale heterogeneity significantly affects the entrapment of the nonwetting fluid, and wetting dynamics deviates capillary pressure and relative permeability from their quasi-static counterparts. A nonequilibrium model for wetting permeability is proposed, which incorporates flow dynamics well. The implementation of the nonequilibrium model in two-phase Darcy modeling successfully predicts sharp wetting fronts in good agreement with experimental observations.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Mubarak Khlewee, William J. DeSisto, Douglas W. Bousfield
Summary: Understanding the dynamic fluid flow in a porous media with temperature changes is important for various applications. This study developed a model based on Darcy's law to quantify the penetration of hot melt adhesive into paper and proposed a model that considers process and material parameters. Experiments were conducted to validate the model, and the results showed good agreement. The permeability of the coating layer and the paper temperature were identified as key parameters influencing penetration depth.
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Jiangtao Zheng, Wenhai Lei, Yang Ju, Moran Wang
Summary: The spontaneous imbibition behavior driven by capillary force in the pore space under actual reservoir conditions was studied using an improved multi-component pseudo-potential lattice Boltzmann method. The results showed that imbibition was two times faster and snap-off oil droplets phenomenon was observed under reservoir conditions. Investigating spontaneous imbibition in a real porous structure and under actual reservoir conditions is crucial for understanding the process and uncovering controlling mechanisms.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sumadi Paryoto, Yoga Romdoni, Ivan Kurnia, Merry Marteighianti, Oki Muraza, Munawar Khalil
Summary: This study investigates the effects of individual and combined systems on the interfacial tension and wettability alteration characteristics of a combination mixture of colloidal Fe3O4 nanoparticles and amphoteric-anionic surfactant. The results show that combining the two surfactants reduces the interfacial tension and adding Fe3O4 nanoparticles at lower concentrations increases the interfacial tension. Furthermore, the combination also changes the wettability from hydrophilic to strongly hydrophilic conditions. The study also finds that adding 0.01 wt% Fe3O4 colloidal nanoparticles in the surfactant mixture provides an optimal recovery efficiency.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Muhammad Naoshad Islam, Udit Shrivastava, Marwa Atwa, Xiaoan Li, Viola Birss, Kunal Karan
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bin Pan, Christopher R. Clarkson, Marwa Atwa, Chris Debuhr, Amin Ghanizadeh, Viola I. Birss
Summary: The classical Lucas-Washburn equation is not suitable to describe the wetting dynamics of nanoliter water droplets in nanoporous media. A new theoretical model has been developed to characterize this dynamics, demonstrating that spontaneous imbibition of a nanoliter droplet can occur even on an intrinsically hydrophobic nanoporous substrate if capillary condensation has occurred internally.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Electrochemistry
Samantha Luong, Marwa Atwa, Manila Ozhukil Valappil, Viola Birss
Summary: High surface area carbon powders are commonly used in electrochemical applications, but are susceptible to oxidation and corrosion in oxidizing environments. This study demonstrates that attaching surface groups using diazonium chemistry can effectively reduce surface roughening and oxidation of carbon powders in sulfuric acid, offering insights into the protection mechanisms of these modified carbon surfaces.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Electrochemistry
Manila Ozhukil Valappil, Farisa Forouzandeh, Xiaoan Li, Samantha Luong, Marwa Atwa, Viola Ingrid Birss
Summary: Carbon is an important component in catalyst layers, but its electrochemical oxidation at high potentials limits device lifetime. This study shows that an oxide film with quasi-passivating/protective characteristics can form on carbon materials at potentials above that for oxygen evolution. The formation of this film is a general phenomenon for various carbon materials and depends on factors such as surface area and porosity.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Marwa Atwa, Xiaoan Li, David O'Connell, Ruohong Sui, Robert Marriott, Viola Birss
Summary: In this study, a novel approach was used to control the pore structure of carbon powders, which improved their mass transport properties during electrochemical reactions. The results showed that adjusting the size and connectivity of the pores effectively reduced the mass transport resistance, leading to higher achievable power densities. This research has important implications for the application of porous electrode materials in fuel cells, batteries, capacitors, and other advanced energy and environment devices.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marwa Atwa, Xiaoan Li, Zhaoxuan Wang, Samuel Dull, Shicheng Xu, Xia Tong, Rui Tang, Hirotomo Nishihara, Fritz Prinz, Viola Birss
Summary: NCS85 membranes show promising characteristics for hosting Pt nanoparticles with high uniformity and efficiency due to their unique porous structure, resulting in rapid oxygen reduction kinetics and high power density in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell testing.
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Janina Willkomm, Erwan Bertin, Marwa Atwa, Jian-Bin Lin, Viola Birss, Warren E. Piers
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2019)