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Ma R, Dai L, Sun D, Yang Y, Tang C, Li L, He Z, Ni Y. Nanocellulose/scleroglucan-enhanced robust, heat-resistant composite hydrogels for oilfield water plugging. Carbohydr Polym 2024; 341:122320. [PMID: 38876713 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
In an oil exploitation process, hydrogel plugging agents can effectively reduce the water-oil intermixing, decrease water extraction volume, and enhance oil recovery rate. The practical applications of traditional polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel plugging agents in oilfield are limited by their non-biodegradability, poor mechanical performance, and inferior temperature-resistance. This work developed a mechanically stable and high-temperature-resistant composite hydrogel (STP) by incorporating biodegradable scleroglucan (Slg) and TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCN) in the PAM hydrogel. The addition of Slg conferred heat resistance to the PAM hydrogel, while TOCN reinforced the mechanical strength. Anti-aging analyses revealed that the STP endured for 108 h in a saline environment at 140 °C. In the water flooding characterization, the STP displayed a breakthrough pressure of 42.10 psi/ft. at a flow rate of 0.75 cm3/min. Under these extreme conditions, the plugging pressure reached 14.74 psi/ft., meeting the essential criteria for oilfield water plugging. This research demonstrates the potential of polysaccharides in the preparation of sustainable, tough, and heat-resistant water plugging materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoteng Ma
- College of Bioresources Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Lei Dai
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
| | - Dalong Sun
- College of Energy, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
| | - Yang Yang
- College of Energy, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China.
| | - Chunxia Tang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Textiles, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.
| | - Liang Li
- Sinopec Northwest Oil Field Branch, Sinopec Group, Urumqi 830011, China
| | - Zhibin He
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Yonghao Ni
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada; Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA.
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Loos JN, D'Acierno F, Vijay Mody U, MacLachlan MJ. Manipulating the Self-Assembly of Multicomponent Low Molecular Weight Gelators (LMWGs) through Molecular Design. Chempluschem 2022; 87:e202200026. [PMID: 35233979 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202200026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Multicomponent low molecular weight gelators (LMWGs) may self-assemble by co-assembly (CA), social self-sorting (SSS), or narcissistic self-sorting (NSS). Understanding the nuances of the self-assembly processes is important to predict the behavior of multicomponent organogels. Here, we investigate the effect of molecular structure on self-assembly in a series of amino-acid based bicomponent LMWGs that differ in headgroup and alkyl chain length. Packing preference of the organogels was determined using differential scanning calorimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and small angle X-ray scattering. From 66 bicomponent samples we found 50 CA, 14 SSS and 2 NSS. Furthermore, we performed statistical analysis to investigate the role of hydrophobicity and chain length on the overall pathway of self-assembly for these systems. We found the hydrophobicity of the headgroup strongly affected the assembly preference of the organogel, but alkyl chain length only played a small role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette N Loos
- University of British Columbia, Department of Chemistry, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Francesco D'Acierno
- University of British Columbia, Department of Chemistry, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1, Canada
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of British Columbia, 6224 Agricultural Rd., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Urmi Vijay Mody
- University of British Columbia, Department of Chemistry, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Mark J MacLachlan
- University of British Columbia, Department of Chemistry, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1, Canada
- Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, 2355 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
- WPI Nano Life Science Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
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