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Synthesis of Temperature-Responsive SiO2 Nanoparticles for Switchable Emulsification and Demulsification in Enhanced
Han Jia1,2, Qiang Wang1, Pingan Pei1
1Shandong Key Laboratory of Oilfield Chemistry, School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao266580, P. R. China.
Abstract:
Temperature-responsive SiO2 nanoparticles are regarded as promising flooding agents in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Herein, hydrophilic poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA) and thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) layers were sequentially grafted onto SiO2 nanoparticles via two-step activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP), yielding six functionalized SiO2 nanoparticles (FSNPs) with varying SBMA/NIPAM weight ratios. The structures of the FSNPs were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). FSNP3:2 with the optimal SBMA/NIPAM weight ratio effectively emulsified model oil at 50 °C and demulsified upon cooling to 20 °C. Interfacial tension and contact angle measurements indicated that the thermally triggered hydrophobic transition of PNIPAM enhanced the interfacial activity of FSNP3:2 and its dispersion viscosity. Core flooding tests showed that FSNP3:2 nanofluid and its Pickering emulsion achieved additional oil recovery of 12.78% and 18.94% at 50 °C, respectively. The produced emulsion completely demulsified upon cooling and was readily regenerated for reuse. This study offers a novel design strategy for temperature-responsive SiO2 nanoparticles in EOR.
