Empirical formulae for electric double-layer repulsion between two arbitrarily inclined clay particles

To understand the mesoscopic mechanism of clayey soil in view of macroscopic behavior, it is essential to quantitatively calculate the electric double-layer repulsion between arbitrarily inclined clay particles.However, suitable calculation methods with high efficiency and accuracy are still rare at present in literature. Based on a great number of numerical calculations of the repulsion between two inclined platy clay particles, explicit empirical formulae for estimating electric double-layer repulsion between clay particles are put forward. Comparison between the empirical solutions and corresponding numerical results shows that the proposed formulae have a reasonable accuracy, and application of the presented formula is easy and efficient.

Numerical simulation of profile control by clay particles after polymer flooding

A three-dimensional,two-phase,five-component mathematical model has been developed to describe flow characteristics of clay particles and flocs in the profile control process,in which the clay particle suspension is injected into the formation to react with residual polymer.This model considers the reaction of clay particles with residual polymer,apparent viscosity of the mixture,retention of clay particles and flocs,as well as the decline in porosity and permeability caused by the retention of clay particles and flocs.A finite difference method is used to discretize the equation for each component in the model.The Runge-Kutta method is used to solve the polymer flow equation,and operator splitting algorithms are used to split the flow equation for clay particles into a hyperbolic equation for convection and a parabolic equation for diffusion,which effectively ensures excellent precision,high speed and good stability.The numerical simulation had been applied successfully in the 4-P1920 unit of the Lamadian Oilfield to forecast the blocking capacity of clay particle suspension and to optimize the injection parameters.

Characterization and acid-mobilization study for typical iron- bearing clay mineral

In this study, iron speciation in five standard clay samples was characterized. Iron mobilization from these clays was then measured in acidic media. For comparison, a commercially available Arizona test dust （ATD） was also observed. The results showed that the free-Fe contents of clays were commonly lower than that of dust aerosols. The components of clays were dominant by the structural Fe held in the aluminosilicate lattice. The iron solubility of the clays were in the order of KGa-2 〉 SWy-2 〉 CCa-2 〉 IMt-2 〉 NAu- 2. Based upon the M6ssbauer spectrum and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） analysis, the Fe（Ⅱ） fraction and the Fe/Si ratio of clay particles changed after dissolution, suggesting the total Fe solubility depended on the Fe atom states existing within the aluminosilicate lattice. The Fe in KGa-2 and SWy-2 was most likely substituted for alkaline elements as the interlayer ions held by ionic bonds in the aluminosilicate, which are more liable to dissolution. However, the Fe in NAu-2 was more likely to be bound by strong covalent bonds in aluminosilicate mineral, which is less soluble. The much highly soluble Fe in ATD was not only linked to the dissolution of an appreciable fraction of Fe（Ⅱ）, but also could be attributed to the fact that the Fe bonds in the clay fraction of ATD were mainly present as ionic bonds. The TEM images showed that reacted clay particles displayed less aggregate particles, with nanoparticle aggregates and the Fe/S-rich tiny particles attached to the remains.