Parameter Screening Study for Optimizing the Static Properties of Nanoparticle-Stabilized CO₂ Foam Based on...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Petroleum Engineering

Background:

• Nanoparticle (NP)-stabilized foam technology is crucial for CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and geological storage.
• Optimizing NP-stabilized CO2 foam requires understanding complex multifactor interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To screen the optimal formula for satisfactory NP-stabilized CO2 foam performance.
• To analyze the effects of NP size, surfactant concentration, NP concentration, temperature, and salinity on foam properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized orthogonal experimental design (OED) for a complex multifactor system.
• Investigated five factors (NP size, surfactant concentration, NP concentration, temperature, salinity) at four levels.
• Performed 16 experiments to assess foam height and half-life.

Main Results:

• Surfactant concentration significantly impacts foamability.
• Temperature is the dominant factor for NP-stabilized CO2 foam stability.
• OED identified optimal conditions: 0.15 wt% surfactant, 0.1 wt% NP, 7 nm NP size, 1 wt% salinity, at 30°C and 50°C.

Conclusions:

• OED effectively facilitates laboratory screening and optimization for NP-stabilized CO2 foam.
• The optimized foam composition demonstrates satisfactory static characteristics for EOR and storage applications.