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Sun X, Zeng H, Tang T. Molecular Simulations on the Coalescence of Water-in-Oil Emulsion Droplets with Non-ionic Surfactant and Model Asphaltene. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:2233-2245. [PMID: 36734483 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Water droplets in crude oil can be stabilized by the adsorption of interfacially active components, such as asphaltenes. Demulsifiers like non-ionic surfactants are commonly used to destabilize the water-in-oil emulsions. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations were performed to study the coalescence of water droplets coated with both model asphaltene and non-ionic surfactants [PEO-PPO-PEO copolymer (SurP) or Brij surfactant (SurB)]. For the first time, we quantitatively studied the interaction force between water droplets in the presence of both asphaltenes and demulsifiers and addressed the effect of solvent property on the coalescence process. At the droplet surface, demulsifiers adsorbed closer to the water phase and formed more hydrogen bonds with water molecules compared to asphaltenes, indicating the capability of demulsifiers to break the asphaltene film. Comparing the two non-ionic surfactants, VO-79/SurP complexes formed a single-layer film on the droplet surface, while a two-layer structure was formed by VO-79/SurB complexes. This led to a higher repulsive force during droplet coalescence when SurB was present, regardless of the type of solvent. Comparing the two different solvents (toluene vs heptane), for the same adsorbates, the interfacial film was more compact in heptane and there were fewer dispersed VO-79. For VO-79/SurB adsorbates, the bridging of VO-79 led to a smaller repulsion during droplet coalescence when the solvent was heptane, while the difference is insignificant for VO-79/SurP adsorbates. This work suggests that the energy barrier and interaction force for droplet coalescence is highly dependent on the structure of interfacial films, thus providing atomic-level insights into the demulsification mechanisms of water-in-oil emulsions in the presence of surface-active asphaltenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Sun
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Hongbo Zeng
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Tian Tang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT6G 1H9, Canada
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A Review of Oil-Solid Separation and Oil-Water Separation in Unconventional Heavy Oil Production Process. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010074. [PMID: 36613516 PMCID: PMC9820792 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Unconventional heavy oil ores (UHO) have been considered an important part of petroleum resources and an alternative source of chemicals and energy supply. Due to the participation of water and extractants, oil-solid separation (OSS) and oil-water separation (OWS) processes are inevitable in the industrial separation processes of UHO. Therefore, this critical review systematically reviews the basic theories of OSS and OWS, including solid wettability, contact angle, oil-solid interactions, structural characteristics of natural surfactants and interface characteristics of interfacially active asphaltene film. With the basic theories in mind, the corresponding OSS and OWS mechanisms are discussed. Finally, the present challenges and future research considerations are touched on to provide insights and theoretical fundamentals for OSS and OWS. Additionally, this critical review might even be useful for the provision of a framework of research prospects to guide future research directions in laboratories and industries that focus on the OSS and OWS processes in this important heavy oil production field.
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Liu W, Chang Z, Wang H, Dang H, Ma S, Wei D, Luo W. Determent of oil-soluble surfactants on aggregation of model asphaltene compound and synergistic effect of their mixtures on foaming property. J DISPER SCI TECHNOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/01932691.2022.2059509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenjun Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Zhidong Chang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Huanxin Wang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Enhanced Oil Recovery, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development (RIPED), CNPC, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Hui Dang
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Sihang Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Daixiang Wei
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Wenli Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Enhanced Oil Recovery, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development (RIPED), CNPC, Beijing, P.R. China
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Ghasemi H, Mozaffari S, Mohammadghasemi H, Jemere AB, Nazemifard N. Microfluidic Platform for Characterization of Crude Oil Emulsion Stability. CAN J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/cjc-2021-0248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic technology has gained significant scientific interest in the characterization of crude oil emulsions that are often formed in the process of oil production. Microfluidic platforms can be used to mimic the pores of natural rock and study multiphase displacement, as well as emulsion formation at a microscale level. This mini-Review focuses on the applications of microfluidics to probe the stability of emulsified droplets against coalescence (e.g., in the presence of additives, electric field, etc.) for both water-in-oil (W/O) and oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion systems. Additionally, this study summarizes the recent efforts made to identify the effects of various experimental factors, including crude oil composition, aging, salinity, and pH on the interfacial properties of water/oil interface and their ultimate roles in the formation/stability of emulsions. Finally, main findings and some recommendations for future work related to the potential of microfluidics in different aspects of crude oil emulsion studies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Homa Ghasemi
- University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 14751, Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Milwaukee, United States
| | - Saeed Mozaffari
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1757, Department of Chemical Engineering, Blacksburg, United States, 24061-0131
- University of Alberta, 3158, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Edmonton, Canada, T6G 2R3
| | | | - Abebaw B. Jemere
- National Research Council Canada Nanotechnology Research Centre, 103212, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Neda Nazemifard
- University of Alberta, 3158, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Edmonton, Canada, T6G 2R3
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Ma J, Yao M, Yang Y, Zhang X. Comprehensive review on stability and demulsification of unconventional heavy oil-water emulsions. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.118510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Pagán Pagán NM, Zhang Z, Nguyen TV, Marciel AB, Biswal SL. Physicochemical Characterization of Asphaltenes Using Microfluidic Analysis. Chem Rev 2022; 122:7205-7235. [PMID: 35196011 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Crude oils are complex mixtures of organic molecules, of which asphaltenes are the heaviest component. Asphaltene precipitation and deposition have been recognized to be a significant problem in oil production, transmission, and processing facilities. These macromolecular aromatics are challenging to characterize due to their heterogeneity and complex molecular structure. Microfluidic devices are able to capture key characteristics of reservoir rocks and provide new insights into the transport, reactions, and chemical interactions governing fluids used in the oil and gas industry. Understanding the microscale phenomena has led to better design of macroscale processes used by the industry. One area that has seen significant growth is in the area of chemical analysis under flowing conditions. Microfluidics and microscale analysis have advanced the understanding of complex mixtures by providing in situ imaging that can be combined with other chemical characterization methods to give details of how oil, water, and added chemicals interface with pore-scale detail. This review article aims to showcase how microfluidic devices offer new physical, chemical, and dynamic information on the behavior of asphaltenes. Specifically, asphaltene deposition and related flow assurance problems, interfacial properties and rheology, and evaluation of remediation strategies studied in microchannels and microfluidic porous media are presented. Examples of successful applications that address key asphaltene-related problems highlight the advances of microscale systems as a tool for advancing the physicochemical characterization of complex fluids for the oil and gas industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataira M Pagán Pagán
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Zhuqing Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Thao Vy Nguyen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Amanda B Marciel
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Sibani Lisa Biswal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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