Oxide film on bubble surface of aluminum foams produced by gas injection foaming process

Based on A356 aluminum alloy,aluminum foams were prepared by gas injection foaming process with pure nitrogen,air and some gas mixtures.The oxygen volume fraction of these gas mixtures varied from 0.2%to 8.0%.Optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and Auger electron spectroscopy（AES） were used to analyze the influence of oxygen content on cell structure,relative density,macro and micro morphology of cell walls,coverage area fraction of oxide film,thickness of oxide film and other aspects.Results indicate that the coverage area fraction of oxide film on bubble surface increases with the increase of oxygen content when the oxygen volume is less than 1.2%.While when the oxygen volume fraction is larger than 1.6%,an oxide film covers the entire bubble surface and aluminum foams with good cell structure can be produced.The thicknesses of oxide films of aluminum foams produced by gas mixtures containing 1.6%-21%oxygen are almost the same.The reasons why the thickness of oxide film nearly does not change with the variation of oxygen content and the amount of oxygen needed to achieve 100%coverage of oxide film are both discussed.In addition,the role of oxide film on bubble surface in foam stability is also analyzed.

Experimental investigation of the effects of oil asphaltene content on CO_(2) foam stability in the presence of nanoparticles and sodium dodecyl sulfate

Foam stability tests were performed using sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS)surfactant and SiO2 nanoparticles as foaming system at different asphaltene concentrations,and the half-life of CO_(2) foam was measured.The mechanism of foam stability reduction in the presence of asphaltene was analyzed by scanning electron microscope(SEM),UV adsorption spectrophotometric concentration measurement and Zeta potential measurement.When the mass ratio of synthetic oil to foam-formation suspension was 1:9 and the asphaltene mass fraction increased from 0 to 15%,the half-life of SDS-stabilized foams decreased from 751 s to 239 s,and the half-life of SDS/silica-stabilized foams decreased from 912 s to 298 s.When the mass ratio of synthetic oil to foam-formation suspension was 2:8 and the asphaltene mass fraction increased from 0 to 15%,the half-life of SDS-stabilized foams decreased from 526 s to 171 s,and the half-life of SDS/silica-stabilized foams decreased from 660 s to 205 s.In addition,due to asphaltene-SDS/silica interaction in the aqueous phase,the absolute value of Zeta potential decreases,and the surface charges of particles reduce,leading to the reduction of repulsive forces between two interfaces of thin liquid film,which in turn,damages the foam stability.

Enhancement of a foaming formulation with a zwitterionic surfactant for gas mobility control in harsh reservoir conditions

This work presents the design of a robust foam formulation that tolerates harsh reservoir conditions(high salinity,high divalent ion concentration,high temperature,light oil,and hydrocarbon injection gas)in a sandstone reservoir.For this,we selected anionic Alpha Olefin Sulfonate(AOS)surfactants and studied their synergistic effects in mixtures with zwitterionic betaines to enhance foam performance.The laboratory workflow used to define the best formulation followed a de-risking approach in three consecutive phases.First,(phase 1)the main surfactant(AOS)was selected among a series of commercial candidates in static conditions.Then,(phase 2)the betaine booster to be combined with the previously selected AOS was chosen and their ratio optimized in static conditions.Subsequently,(phase 3)the surfactant/booster ratio was optimized under dynamic conditions in a porous medium in the absence and the presence of oil.As a result of this study,a mixture of an AOS C14-C16 and cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine(CAPHS)was selected as the one having the best performance.The designed formulation was proven to be robust in a wide range of conditions.It generated a strong and stable foam at reservoir conditions,overcoming variations in salinity and foam quality,and tolerated the presence of oil.

Parameters affect foaming and foam stability during foam drilling

The authors presented indoor practice experiments of parameters affect on foaming and foam stability. Experiments were carried out and special equipments were used to determine foaming and foam stability; tests were tabulated and charted. The effects of chemical and physical parameters on foaming and foam stability have been conducted.

Stability of high-salinity-enhanced foam:Surface behavior and thin-film drainage

Cocamidopropyl hydroxyl sulfobetaine(CHSB)is one of the most promising foaming agents for high-salinity reservoirs because the salt in place facilitates its foam stability,even with salinity as high as 2×10^(5)mg/L.However,the synergistic effects between CHSB and salt have not been fully understood.This study utilized bulk foam tests and thin-film interferometry to comprehensively investigate the macroscopic and microscopic decay processes of CHSB foams with NaCl concentrations ranging from 2.3×10^(4)to 2.1×10^(5)mg/L.We focused on the dilatational viscoelasticity and dynamic thin-film thickness to elucidate the high-salinity-enhanced foam stability.The increase in dilatational viscoelasticity and supramolecular oscillating structural force(Π_(OS))with salinity dominated the superior stability of CHSB foam.With increasing salinity,more CHSB molecules accumulated on the surface with a lower diffusion rate,leading to high dilatational moduli and surface elasticity,thus decelerating coarsening and coalescence.Meanwhile,the number density of micelles in the thin film increased with salinity,resulting in increasedΠOS.Consequently,the energy barrier for stepwise thinning intensified,and the thin-film drainage slowed.This work conduces to understand the mechanisms behind the pronounced stability of betaine foam and can promote the widespread application of foam in harsh reservoirs.

Eco-friendly aqueous foam stabilized by cellulose microfibers with great salt tolerance and high temperature resistance

A low-cost eco-friendly aqueous foam,especially the robust foam with great tolerance to high salinity and high temperature,is in great demand in the oil industry,e.g.,oil and gas well or geothermal well drilling.Herein,an ultra-stable aqueous foam was developed using the biodegradable cellulose microfiber(CMF)as a foam stabilizer.The foam stabilized by CMF shows excellent tolerance to the high concentration of NaCl(6.0 wt%)and CaCl_(2)(0.25 wt%)and the related drainage half-life times(T_(0.5))reach 1750 and 2340 s respectively.By contrast,the foams without CMF are completely drained(T_(0.5)=0 s)when NaCl concentration is greater than 6.0 wt%or CaCl_(2) concentration is greater than 0.20 wt%.Notably,T0.5 of the foams stabilized by CMF at these saline concentrations still can maintain above 1000 s even after aging at 120℃ for 16 h,exhibiting an outstanding foam-stabilizing performance at high temperature.Experimental results suggest that the salt and high-temperature tolerance of CMF in foam stabilization is attributed to the electrically uncharged surfaces,the formation of a gel-like structure and the excellent thermal stability.This work not only provides a promising candidate of aqueous foam stabilizer to deal with high temperature and high salinity but also presents a natural-based solution for an environmentally friendly drilling industry in the future.

Nanoparticle-reinforced foam system for enhanced oil recovery(EOR):Mechanistic review and perspective

Boosted by economic development and rising living standards,the world's carbon dioxide emissions remain high.Maintaining temperature rises below 1.5℃ by the end of the century requires rapid global carbon capture and storage implementation.The successful application of carbon capture,utilization,and storage(CCUS)technology in oilfields has become the key to getting rid of this predicament.Foam flooding,as an organic combination of gas and chemical flooding,became popular in the 1950s.Notwithstanding the irreplaceable advantages,as a thermodynamically unstable system,foam's stability has long restricted its development in enhanced oil and gas recovery.With special surface/interface effects and small-size effects,nanoparticles can be used as foam stabilizers to enhance foam stability,thereby improving foam seepage and oil displacement effects in porous media.In this paper,the decay kinetics and the stabilization mechanisms of nanoparticle-reinforced foams were systematically reviewed.The effects of nanoparticle characteristics,including particle concentration,surface wettability,particle size,and type,and reservoir environment factors,including oil,temperature,pressure,and salinity on the foam stabilization ability were analyzed in detail.The seepage and flooding mechanisms of nanoparticle-reinforced foams were summarized as:improving the plugging properties of foams,enhancing the interaction between foams and crude oil,and synergistically adjusting the wettability of reservoir rocks.Finally,the challenges in the practical application of nanoparticle-reinforced foams were highlighted,and the development direction was proposed.The development of nanoparticle-reinforced foam can open the way toward adaptive and evolutive EOR technology,taking one further step towards the high-efficiency production of the petroleum industry.

Bulk and bubble-scale experimental studies of influence of nanoparticles on foam stability

Influence of silicon oxide(SiO_2) and aluminum oxide(Al_2O_3) nanoparticles on the stability of nanoparticles and sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS) mixed solution foams was studied at bulk and bubble-scale. Foam apparent viscosity was also determined in Hele-Shaw cell In order to investigate the foam performance at static and dynamic conditions. Results show that the maximum adsorption of surfactant on the nanoparticles occurs at 3 wt% surfactant concentration. Foam stability increases while the foamability decreases with the increasing nanoparticle concentration. However, optimum nanoparticle concentration corresponding to maximum foam stability was obtained at 1.0 wt% nanoparticle concentration for the hydrophilic SiO_2/SDS and Al_2O_3/SDS foams. Foam performance was enhanced with increasing nanoparticles hydrophobicity. Air-foams were generally more stable than CO_2 foams.Foam apparent viscosity increased in the presence of nanoparticles from 20.34 mPa·s to 84.84 mPa·s while the film thickness increased from 27.5 μm to 136 μm. This study suggests that the static and dynamic stability of conventional foams could be improved with addition of appropriate concentration of nanoparticles into the surfactant solution. The nanoparticles improve foam stability by their adsorption and aggregation at the foam lamellae to increase film thickness and dilational viscoelasticity. This prevents liquid drainage and film thinning and improves foam stability both at the bulk and bubble scale.

Modification and investigation of silica particles as a foam stabilizer

As a solid foam stabilizer, spherical silica particles with diameters ranging from 150 to 190 nm were prepared via an improved Stober methOd and were subsequently modified using three different silane coupling agents to attain the optimum surface hydrophobicity of the particles. Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectra and the measured contact angles were used to characterize the surface properties of the prepared particles. The foam stability was investigated by the foam drainage half-life and the expansion viscoelastic modulus of the liquid film. The results demonstrate that all of the modified silica nanoparticles effectively improve the foam stability. The surface hydrophobicity of the modified particles is found to be a key factor influencing the foam stability. The optimum contact angle of the particles lies in the ap- proximate range from 50° to 55°. The modifier molecular structure used can also influence the stabilizing foam property of the solid particles The foam system stabilized by （CH3）2SiCl2-modified silica particles exhibits the highest stability; its drainage half-life at maximum increases by 27% compared to that of the blank foam system and is substantially greater than those of the foam systems stabilized by KH570- and KH550-modified particles.

Effect of starch particles on foam stability and dilational viscoelasticity of aqueous-foam

Surface dilational rheological behavior and foam stability of starch/surfactant mixed solutions were studied at different starch concentrations and constant surfactant concentration. The results show that dilational viscoelasticity modulus, dilational elasticity modulus and dilational viscosity modulus increase with the concentration of starch particles. Foam stability increases with dilational viscoelasticity. Foam strength also increases with starch concentration. Starch particles play a positive effect on foam stability and dilational viscoelasticity and the effect becomes more significant as drainage proceeds. Film pictures indicate that the film with 20%(by mass) starch particles is thicker than that without starch. Starch particles gather in Plateau border and resist drainage, making the foam more stable.

Synergistic effects of expandable graphite and dimethyl methyl phosphonate on the mechanical properties, fire behavior, and thermal stability of a polyisocyanurate-polyurethane foam

In this study, a series of flame-retardant polyisocyanurate-polyurethane (PIR-PUR) foams were prepared using various concentrations (0-25% by weight) of expandable graphite (EG) and dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP) (0-7% by weight). The effect of these additives on the properties of the PIR-PUR foams, including physico-mechanical, morphological, flame retardancy, and thermal stability, was studied. Increasing amounts of EG in the PIR-PUR foam caused a significant drop in the compression strength. However, DMMP caused the mechanical properties of PIR-PUR foam to improve compared to foam filled with EG alone. The flame retardancy of PIR-PUR foams containing both EG and DMMP was enhanced significantly compared to EG filled foams. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that EG enhances the thermal stability of PIR-PUR foams but that DMMP decreased it. The morphology of the residual char provided conclusive evidence for the weak thermal stability of foams filled with DMMP.

Characterization of lauryl betaine foam in the Hele-Shaw cell at high foam qualities(80%-98%)

Lauryl betaine(LB)as an amphoteric surfactant carries both positive and negative charges and should be able to generate stable foam through electrostatic interaction with nanoparticles and co-surfactants.However,no previous attempts have been made to investigate the influence of nanoparticles and other co-surfactants on the stability and apparent viscosity of LBstabilized foam.In this study,a thorough investigation on the influence of silicon dioxide(SiO2)nanoparticles,alpha olefin sulfonate(AOS)and sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS),on foam stability and apparent viscosity was carried out.The experiments were conducted with the 2D Hele-Shaw cell at high foam qualities(80%-98%).Influence of AOS on the interaction between the LB foam and oil was also investigated.Results showed that the SiO2-LB foam apparent viscosity decreased with increasing surfactant concentration from 0.1 wt%to 0.3 wt%.0.1 wt%SiO2 was the optimum concentration and increased the 0.1 wt%LB foam stability by 108.65%at 96%foam quality.In the presence of co-surfactants,the most stable foam,with the highest apparent viscosity,was generated by AOS/LB solution at a ratio of 9:1.The emulsified crude oil did not imbibe into AOS-LB foam lamellae.Instead,oil was redirected into the plateau borders where the accumulated oil drops delayed the rate of film thinning,bubble coalescence and coarsening.

A micro-kinetic model of enhanced foam stability under artificial seismic wave

To get a deeper understanding on the synergistic enhancement effect of low frequency artificial seismic wave on foam stability,a micro-kinetic model of enhanced foam stability under low frequency artificial seismic wave is established based on a vertical liquid film drainage model and elastic wave theory.The model is solved by non-dimensional transformation of the high order partial differential equations and a compound solution of implicit and explicit differences and is verified to be accurate.The foam film thickness,surfactant concentration distribution and drainage velocity under the action of low frequency artificial seismic wave are quantitatively analyzed.The research shows that low-frequency vibration can reduce the difference between the maximum and minimum concentrations of surfactant in the foam liquid film at the later stage of drainage,enhance the effect of Marangoni effect,and improve the stability of the foam liquid film.When the vibration frequency is close to the natural frequency of the foam liquid film,the vibration effect is the best,and the best vibration frequency is about 50 Hz.The higher the vibration acceleration,the faster the recovery rate of surfactant concentration in the foam liquid film is.The higher the vibration acceleration,the stronger the ability of Marangoni effect to delay the drainage of foam liquid film and the better the foam stability is.It is not the higher the vibration acceleration,the better.The best vibration acceleration is about 0.5 times of gravity acceleration.Reasonable vibration parameters would greatly enhance the effect of Marangoni effect.The smaller the initial concentration of surfactant,the better the vibration works in enhancing Marangoni effect.

Effect of foaming agent,foam stabilizer and whipping time on drying process of tomato paste under different drying equipment

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effect of foaming agent(egg white(EW)),foam stabilizer(carboxyl methyl cellulose(CMC))and whipping time on drying rate and quality of tomato(Lycopersicon esculentus)paste dried under air oven,microwave oven and mechanical dryer.A 43 factorial experiment in Randomized Complete Block Design(RCBD)was used to study the effect of four levels each of foaming agent(5%,10%,15%and 20%EW),foam stabilizer(0.15%,0.30%,0.45%and 0.60%CMC)and whipping time(3,5,7 and 9 min)on the drying rate and the quality of foam-mat dried tomato powder in the three drying equipment.Each trial was performed in triplicates making a total number of 576 samples that were individually tested and measured.25 g sample of the paste was dried to a moisture content of 7.60%(wb)for 8 h in mechanical dryer and oven dryer at temperatures of 55◦C and 50◦C,respectively,and 10 min in microwave oven at 540 W.Data obtained from the experiments were statistically analyzed using the analysis of variance(ANOVA)while the Duncan’s Multiple Range Test was used to compare the means.Results showed that the drying rate increased with increase in foaming agent,foam stabilizer and whipping with minimum values of 9.21 g/h obtained in mechanical dryer,9.31 g/h in air oven and 8.05 g/h in microwave oven.Increase in foaming agent,foam stabilizer and whipping time did not cause any adverse effect on vitamin C,ash,protein,fat,carbohydrate,crude fiber contents of the samples.Samples reached a stable moisture content of 7.60%(wb)in less than 8 h in mechanical dryer and air and less than 10 min in microwave oven.The results of the study showed that EW,CMC and whipping time influenced the drying rate and quality of foam-mat dried tomato powder.

Surfactant and nanoparticle synergy:Towards improved foam stability

Surfactant foam stability gets a lot of interest while posing a significant obstacle to many industrial operations.One of the viable solutions for addressing gas mobility concerns and boosting reservoir fluid sweep efficiency during solvent-based enhanced heavy oil recovery processes is foam formation.The synergistic effect of nanoparticles and surfactants in a porous reservoir media can help create a more durable and sturdier foam.This study aims to see how well a combination of the nanoparticles(NPs)and surfactant can generate foam for controlling gas mobility and improving oil recovery.This research looked at the effects of silicon and aluminum oxide nanoparticles on the bulk and dynamic stability of sodium dodecyl surfactant(SDS)-foam in the presence and absence of oil.Normalized foam height,liquid drainage,half-decay life,nanoparticle deposition,and bubble size distribution of the generated foams with time were used to assess static foam stability in the bulk phase,while dynamic stability was studied in the micromodel.To understand the processes of foam stabilization by nanoparticles,the microscopic images of foam and the shape of bubbles were examined.When nanoparticles were applied in foamability testing in bulk and dynamic phase,the foam generation and stability were improved by 23%and 17%,respectively.In comparison to surfactant alone,adding nanoparticles to surfactant solutions leads to a more significant pressure drop of 17.34 psi for SiO_(2)and 14.86 psi for Al_(2)O_(3)NPs and,as a result,a higher reduction in gas mobility which ultimately assists in enhancing oil recovery.

Experimental Investigation of Immiscible Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Foam Rheology for Improved Oil Recovery

This paper presents the rheological behaviour of supercritical CO2 （sCO2） foam at reser- voir conditions of I 500 psi and 80 ℃. Different commercial surfactants were screened and utilized in or- der to generate a fairly stable CO2 foam. Mixed surfactant system was also introduced to generate strong foam. Foam rheology was studied for some specific foam qualities using a high pressure high tempera- ture （HPHT） foam loop rheometer. A typical shear thinning behaviour of the foam was observed and a significant increase in the foam viscosity was noticed with the increase of foam quality until 85%. A de- sired high apparent viscosity with coarse texture was found at 85% foam quality. Foam visualization above 85% showed an unstable foam due to extremely thin lamella which collapsed and totally disap- peared in the loop rheometer. Below 52%, a non-homogenous and unstable foam was found having low viscosity with some liquid accumulation at the bottom of the circulation loop. This research has demon- strated rheology of sCO2 foams at different qualities at HPHT to obtain optimal foam quality region for immiscible CO2 foam co-injection process.

Hybrid surfactant-nanoparticles assisted CO_(2) foam flooding for improved foam stability:A review of principles and applications

Miscible carbon dioxide(CO_(2))flooding is a well-established and promising enhanced oil recovery(EOR)technique whereby residual oil is recovered by mixing with injected CO_(2)gas.However,CO_(2),being very light and less viscous than reservoir crude oil,results in inefficient sweep efficiency.Extensive research is ongoing to improve CO_(2)mobility control such as the development and generation of CO_(2)/water foams.The long-term stability of foam during the period of flooding is a known issue and must be considered during the design stage of any CO_(2)foam flooding project.The foam stability can be improved by adding surfactants as stabilizers,but surfactants generated foams have generally a shorter life because of an unstable interface.Furthermore,surfactants are prone to higher retention and chemical degradation in the porous media,particularly under harsh reservoir conditions.Research has shown that nanoparticles(NPs)can act as an excellent stabilizing agent for CO_(2)/water foams owing to their surface chemistry and high adsorption energy.The foams generated using NPs are more stable and provide better mobility control compared to surfactant-stabilized foams.One limitation of using NPs as foam stabilizers is their colloidal stability which limits the use of low-cost NPs.Combining surfactants and NPs for CO_(2)foam stabilization is a novel approach and has gained interest among researchers in recent years.Surfactants improve the dispersion of NPs in the aqueous phase and minimize particle aggregation.NPs on the other hand create a stable barrier at the CO_(2)/water interface with the help of surfactants,thus generating highly stable and viscous foams.This paper presents a comprehensive review of the basic principles and applications of stabilized CO_(2)foams.A brief overview of CO_(2)foam flooding is discussed first,followed by a review of standalone surfactant-stabilized and NPs-stabilized CO_(2)/water foams.The application of hybrid surfactant-NPs stabilized CO_(2)foams is then presented and areas requiring further investigation are highlighted.This review provides an insight into a novel approach to stabilize CO_(2)/water foams and the effectiveness of the method as proved by various studies.

The effect of nanosilica sizes in the presence of nonionic TX100 surfactant on CO_(2)foam flooding

The aim of this research is to study the effect of hydrophilic silica nanoparticles,sizes as CO_(2) foam stabilizer in the presence of nonionic TX100 surfactant.Two nanosilica sizes,15 and 70 nm,have been examined thoroughly.Physisorption of TX100 on silica nanoparticles(nanosilica)was characterized by adsorption isotherm and surface tension measurement,while CO_(2) foams stability was quantified based on their foamability,foam stability,particle partitioning in the foams,and bubble sizes.Results show that direct contact of TX100 with nanosilica does altered the wettability of hydrophilic nanosilica surface,enable them to lengthen CO_(2) foams life at certain surfactant and nanoparticles concentrations.For 15 nm nanosilica,CO_(2) foam stability shows excellent performance at 0.1 and 0.5 wt%TX100 concentrations.As for 70 nm nanosilica,CO_(2) foam demonstrates longer lifetime at much lower TX100 concentration,0.01 wt%.Without the presence of TX100,CO_(2) foams exhibit undesirable lifetime performances for both nanosilica sizes.Nanosilica partitioning in CO_(2) foams structures demonstrate consistent relation with contact angle measurement.Estimated bubble sizes shows insignificant effect on CO_(2) foams life.With the assists of nanosilica and TX100,enhanced oil recovery via CO_(2) foam injection succeeds in increasing oil production by 13e22%of original oil-in-place(OOIP).

Insight into heavy oil recovery of cyclic solvent injection (CSI) utilizing C_(3)H_(8)/CH_(4) and C_(3)H_(8)/CH_(4)/CO_(2)

In this study,a sandpack model with porosity and permeability of 32.3%and 9.4 D,and a heavy crude oil with viscosity of 6430 mPa.s were used to represent a typical thin heavy oil formation.First,different ratios of C3H8 to CH4 stream were prepared and their performance on Cyclic Solvent Injection(CSI)method was examined to quantify the optimum solvent concentration.Second,CO2 was introduced to the optimum quantified CH4-C3H8 mixture to investigate the extent to which CSI behavior changes by partially replacement of CH4 with CO2.Results showed that ultimate oil recovery factor(RF)increased from 24.3%to 33.4%original oil in place(OOIP)when C3H8 concentration increased from 15 to 50 mol%in the CH4 stream.CSI tests with higher C3H8 concentration reached the maximum cyclic recovery with lower number of injection cycles-due to higher solubility of C3H8 compared with CH4.Solvent utilization factor(SUF)data also confirmed this as lesser volume of solvent with higher C3H8 concentration was required to produce oil.Visual observations showed that the produced foamy oil lasted longer with higher concentration of C3H8 in the solvent(5 min for 15%C3H8 e 85%CH4 case versus 180min for 50%C3H8 e 50%CH4 case).Upon addition of CO2 to the mixture,the solvent apparent solubility increased and foamy oil flow promoted.The highest cyclic C3H8-CH4 apparent solubility of 0.175 gr.solvent/100 gr.remaining oil jumped to 0.53 gr.solvent/100 gr.remaining oil when 35%mole fraction of CO2 replaced CH4.The highest ultimate oil RF of 44.11%OOIP was measured from eight cycle injection of 50%C3H8 e 15%CH4 e 35%CO2.This solvent also benefited from the longest stability of produced-oil foamy shape with recorded time of 217 min(including production time).According to the results of this experimental study,it seems that there is an optimum fraction of C3H8 in CH4 stream injection in heavy oil systems(with viscosity in the vicinity of 6430 mPa s);the concentration beyond which ultimate oil recovery factor does not increase significantly(near 50 mol%).It is speculated that last cycles do not appreciably respond to heavy oil production mainly due to asphaltene getting precipitated within the model.