Chemical Engineering
Department
Towards Reducing the Adsorption
of Surfactants
on Carbonate Minerals
Hadi ShamsiJazeyi, George J. Hirasaki
April 2011
2
Agenda
• Introduction
• Problem Definition
• Adsorption
• Methods
• Results and Discussions
• Conclusion
3
Introduction
4
Why is Surfactant Adsorption
important in EOR?
• Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)
• Surfactant Adsorption & EOR

Economy of Surfactant Injection

Chromatographic Separation

Wettability Alteration
5
Problem
Definition
6
NIB Used in Chemical Flooding
• Neodol-67 :
• IOS15-18
• Lauryl Betaine
NIB-Blend
• Previously used for ASF (Alkaline
Surfactant Foam) in our group
• Mobility Control + Low Interfacial Tension
7
What Caused this Retardation?
NIB on Carbonate showed a retardation:
CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION?
(ADSORPTION)
or
DELAY in FOAM FORMATION?
8
Adsorption
9
Adsorption of NIB
• To evaluate adsorption of NIB
We investigate adsorption of NI and
adsorption of Betaine, separately.
• Why?
 Easier to measure the concentration
 Effect of NI and B can be determined
separately on the adsorption
10
Sacrificial Agents
11
Our Tested Choices as Sacrificial Agent
• Succinic Acid
• Propionic Acid
• Sodium Poly acrylate
12
Methods
13
Surfactants Used
Trade or
descriptive
name
Chemical Structure
Lot #
Activity
(%)
Supplier
Neodol-67
bC16-17(CH3-CH-CH2-O)3-SO3
16920-12765-1.00
22.88
STEPAN
IOS15-18
R-CH(OH)-CH2-CH(SO3)-R (~75%)
R-CH=CH-CH(SO3-)-R
(~25%)
where R+R’ = C12-15
16920-113005-1.15
21.29
STEPAN
Lauryl
Betaine
(CH3)- (CH2 )11 - (CH3 )2 N+-(CH2 )-COO-
101502
29
RHODIA
14
Procedure for Static Adsorption
Experiment
• Limestone Sand (Mesh 20-40)
• 24 h equilibrium time
• Measurement using potentiometric
titration
For NI-Blend: Hyamine 1622
For Betaine: Sodium
tetraphenylborate
N:I:B=4:1:10
15
Results
&
Discussions
16
0.15 wt% initial concentration of NI-Blend
Different weights = 2,3,4,4.5,6 (g)
Room temperature, Limestone Sand (20-40)
24 (h) shaking
3.5 % NaCl, 10 (cc) solution used
Adsorption (mg/g)
Adsorption isotherm of NI-Blend
on Limestone Sand
• Relatively low Adsorption
0.2
0.18
0.16
0.14
0.12
0.1
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
0 0.025 0.05 0.075 0.1 0.125
Equilibrium Concentration
(wt%)
17
Sacrificial Agents and Adsorption
of Surfactants on Limestone Sand
1.2
1.2
Betaine
NI-Blend
1
Adsorption (mg/g)
Adsorption (mg/g)
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0
None
Succinic Polyacrylate Propionic
0.6 wt% initial concentration of Betaine,
Room temperature, Limestone Sand (20-40)
24 (h) shaking, 5(cc) NI-Blend + 5(cc) sacrificial agent
Simultaneously added. solution, 3.5 wt% NaCl, solid
weights = 4 (g). Concentration of sacrificial agents =
1.2 wt%
None
Succinic Polyacrylate propionic
0.3 wt% initial concentration of NI-Blend,
Room temperature, Limestone Sand (20-40)
24 (h) shaking, 5(cc) NI-Blend + 5(cc) sacrificial agent
solution, Simultaneously added, 3.5 wt% NaCl, solid
weights = 4 (g). Concentration of sacrificial agents =
0.6 wt%
18
Conclusions
19
Conclusions
• On Limestone sand:
Adsorption of Lauryl Betaine >> Adsorption of NI-Blend
• Polyacrylate had the best results comparing to
some other materials in reducing adsorption of
NI and Betaine on limestone sand
20
Future Work
• Polymeric Sacrificial Agent vs. Same Monomeric
ones
• Effect of Equilibrating Sacrificial Agent Before
Equilibrating Surfactant on Adsorption Reduction
• Other Sacrificial Agents
• Other Mechanisms of Adsorption
• Optimal Concentration of Sacrificial Agents needed
• 1D Dynamic Adsorption
• How Reducing Adsorption can affect foam mobility
in 1D ASF using NIB?