1
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Yang Y, Narayanan Nair AK, Lau D, Sun S. Interfacial properties of the brine + carbon dioxide + oil + silica system. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:114702. [PMID: 38497476 DOI: 10.1063/5.0197087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations of the H2O + CO2 + aromatic hydrocarbon and H2O + CO2 + benzene + silica (hydrophilic) systems are performed to gain insights into CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes. For comparison purposes, an overview of the previous simulation studies of the interfacial properties of the brine + CO2 + alkane + silica system is also presented. In general, the water contact angle (CA) of the H2O + CO2 + silica (hydrophilic) system increased with pressure and decreased with temperature. The CAs of the H2O + hydrocarbon + silica (hydrophilic) system are not significantly affected by temperature and pressure. The simulated CAs were in the ranges of about 58°-77° and 81°-93° for the H2O + hexane + silica (hydrophilic) and the H2O + aromatic hydrocarbon + silica (hydrophilic) systems, respectively. In general, these CAs were not significantly influenced by the addition of CO2. The simulated CAs were in the ranges of about 51.4°-95.0°, 69.1°-86.0°, and 72.0°-87.9° for the brine + CO2 + silica (hydrophilic), brine + hexane + silica (hydrophilic), and brine + CO2 + hexane + silica (hydrophilic) systems, respectively. All these CAs increased with increasing NaCl concentration. The adhesion tension of the brine + silica (hydrophilic) system in the presence of CO2 and/or hexane decreased with increasing salt concentration. The simulated CAs were in the range of about 117°-139° for the H2O + alkane + silica (hydrophobic) system. These CAs are increased by the addition of CO2. At high pressures, the distributions of H2O normal to the silica (hydrophobic) surface in the droplet region of the H2O + silica system were found to be strongly affected by the presence of CO2. These insights might be key for optimizing the performance of the miscible CO2 water-alternating-gas injection schemes widely used for EOR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafan Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, China
| | - Arun Kumar Narayanan Nair
- Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE), Computational Transport Phenomena Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Denvid Lau
- Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Shuyu Sun
- Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE), Computational Transport Phenomena Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
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2
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Sanchouli N, Babaei S, Kanduč M, Molaei F, Ostadhassan M. Wetting Behavior of Kerogen Surfaces: Insights from Molecular Dynamics. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:5715-5724. [PMID: 38453686 PMCID: PMC10956498 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
In this study, the wettability of a kerogen surface, a key component of shale reservoirs, is investigated by using molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, we examined the impact of droplet size and morphology as well as surface roughness on the water contact angles. The findings highlighted that the contact angle dependency on the droplet size intensifies with increased rigidity of the surface. Conversely, as the surface becomes more flexible and rougher, it gains hydrophilicity. The higher hydrophilicity stems from the ability of water molecules to penetrate the kerogen corrugations and form more hydrogen bonds with heteroatoms, particularly oxygen. Notably, the contact angle of kerogen hovers between 65 and 75°, thereby crossing the transition from an underoil hydrophilic to an underoil hydrophobic state. Consequently, minor alterations in the kerogen nanostructure can dramatically alter the wetting preference between water and oil. This insight is of paramount significance for refining strategies in managing fluid interactions in shale reservoirs such as geological carbon storage or oil extraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Sanchouli
- Department
of Petroleum Engineering, Shahid Bahonar
University of Kerman, Kerman 7616914111, Iran
| | - Saeed Babaei
- Civil
Engineering Faculty, K. N. Toosi University
of Technology, Tehran 1969764499, Iran
| | - Matej Kanduč
- Department
of Theoretical Physics, Jožef Stefan
Institute, Jamova 39, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Fatemeh Molaei
- Department
of Mining and Geological Engineering, The
University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
- Stantec
consulting company, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108, United States
| | - Mehdi Ostadhassan
- Institute
of Geosciences, Marine and Land Geomechanics and Geotectonics, Christian-Albrechts
Universität, Kiel 24118, Germany
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3
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Xie M, Zhang M, Jin Z. Machine Learning-Based Interfacial Tension Equations for (H 2 + CO 2)-Water/Brine Systems over a Wide Range of Temperature and Pressure. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:5369-5377. [PMID: 38417158 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Large-scale underground hydrogen storage (UHS) plays a vital role in energy transition. H2-brine interfacial tension (IFT) is a crucial parameter in structural trapping in underground geological locations and gas-water two-phase flow in subsurface porous media. On the other hand, cushion gas, such as CO2, is often co-injected with H2 to retain reservoir pressure. Therefore, it is imperative to accurately predict the (H2 + CO2)-water/brine IFT under UHS conditions. While there have been a number of experimental measurements on H2-water/brine and (H2 + CO2)-water/brine IFT, an accurate and efficient (H2 + CO2)-water/brine IFT model under UHS conditions is still lacking. In this work, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to generate an extensive (H2 + CO2)-water/brine IFT databank (840 data points) over a wide range of temperature (from 298 to 373 K), pressure (from 50 to 400 bar), gas composition, and brine salinity (up to 3.15 mol/kg) for typical UHS conditions, which is used to develop an accurate and efficient machine learning (ML)-based IFT equation. Our ML-based IFT equation is validated by comparing to available experimental data and other IFT equations for various systems (H2-brine/water, CO2-brine/water, and (H2 + CO2)-brine/water), rendering generally good performance (with R2 = 0.902 against 601 experimental data points). The developed ML-based IFT equation can be readily applied and implemented in reservoir simulations and other UHS applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minjunshi Xie
- School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Mingshan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education on Safe Mining of Deep Metal Mines, School of Resources and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
- Key Laboratory of Liaoning Province on Deep Engineering and Intelligent Technology, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
| | - Zhehui Jin
- School of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada
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4
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Yang Y, Wan J, Shang X, Sun S. Molecular insights into fluid-solid interfacial tensions in water + gas + solid systems at various temperatures and pressures. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:094701. [PMID: 37655769 DOI: 10.1063/5.0157957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The fluid-solid interfacial tension is of great importance to many applications including the geological storage of greenhouse gases and enhancing the recovery of geo-resources, but it is rarely studied. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations are conducted to calculate fluid-solid interfacial properties in H2O + gas (H2, N2, CH4, and CO2) + rigid solid three-phase systems at various temperatures (298-403 K), pressures (0-100 MPa), and wettabilities (hydrophilic, neutral, and hydrophobic). Our results on the H2O + solid system show that vapor-solid interfacial tension should not be ignored in cases where the fluid-solid interaction energy is strong or the contact angle is close to 90°. As the temperature rises, the magnitude of H2O's liquid-solid interfacial tension declines because the oscillation of the interfacial density/pressure profile weakens at high temperatures. However, the magnitude of H2O vapor-solid interfacial tension is enhanced with temperature due to the stronger adsorption of H2O. Moreover, the H2O-solid interfacial tension in H2O + gas (H2 or N2) + solid systems is weakly dependent on pressure, while the pressure effects on H2O-solid interfacial tensions in systems with CH4 or CO2 are significant. We show that the assumption of pressure independent H2O-solid interfacial tensions should be cautiously applied to Neumann's method for systems containing non-hydrophilic surfaces with strong gas-solid interaction. Meanwhile, the magnitude of gas-solid interfacial tension increases with pressure and gas-solid interaction. High temperatures generally decrease the magnitude of gas-solid interfacial tensions. Further, we found that the increment of contact angle due to the presence of gases follows this order: H2 < N2 < CH4 < CO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafan Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, China
- Computational Transport Phenomena Laboratory, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jingyu Wan
- State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiangyu Shang
- State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shuyu Sun
- Computational Transport Phenomena Laboratory, Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
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5
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Ali M, Yekeen N, Hosseini M, Abbasi GR, Alanazi A, Keshavarz A, Finkbeiner T, Hoteit H. Enhancing the CO 2 trapping capacity of Saudi Arabian basalt via nanofluid treatment: Implications for CO 2 geo-storage. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 335:139135. [PMID: 37285975 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Mineralization reactions in basaltic formations have gained recent interest as an effective method for CO2 geo-storage in order to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The CO2/rock interactions, including interfacial tension and wettability, are crucial factors in determining the CO2 trapping capacity and the feasibility of CO2 geological storage in these formations. The Red Sea geological coast in Saudi Arabia has many basaltic formations, and their wetting characteristics are rarely reported in the literature. Moreover, organic acid contamination is inherent in geo-storage formations and significantly impacts their CO2 geo-storage capacities. Hence, to reverse the organic effect, the influence of various SiO2 nanofluid concentrations (0.05-0.75 wt%) on the CO2-wettability of organic-acid aged Saudi Arabian (SA) basalt is evaluated herein at 323 K and various pressures (0.1-20 MPa) via contact angle measurements. The SA basalt substrates are characterized via various techniques, including atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and others. In addition, the CO2 column heights that correspond to the capillary entry pressure before and after nanofluid treatment are calculated. The results show that the organic acid-aged SA basalt substrates become intermediate-wet to CO2-wet under reservoir pressure and temperature conditions. When treated with SiO2 nanofluids, however, the SA basalt substrates become weakly water-wet, and the optimum performance is observed at an SiO2 nanofluid concentration of 0.1 wt%. At 323 K and 20 MPa, the CO2 column height corresponding to the capillary entry pressure increases from -957 m for the organic-aged SA basalt to 6253 m for the 0.1 wt% nano-treated SA basalt. The results suggest that the CO2 containment security of organic-acid-contaminated SA basalt can be enhanced by SiO2 nanofluid treatment. Thus, the results of this study may play a significant role in assessing the trapping of CO2 in SA basaltic formations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Ali
- Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Nurudeen Yekeen
- School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, 6027, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Mirhasan Hosseini
- School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, 6027, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ghazanfer Raza Abbasi
- School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, 6027, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Amer Alanazi
- Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alireza Keshavarz
- School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, 6027, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Thomas Finkbeiner
- Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hussein Hoteit
- Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia.
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6
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A H, Yang Z, Hu R, Chen YF. Molecular Origin of Wetting Characteristics on Mineral Surfaces. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:2932-2942. [PMID: 36791036 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02652] [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
Accurate determination of the wetting characteristics on mineral surfaces is critical for many natural processes and industrial applications where multiphase flow in porous media is involved. The wetting behaviors on mineral surfaces are controlled by water-mineral interactions, giving rise to various wetting characteristics, including contact line advancement, formation of precursor films, etc. However, a fundamental understanding of wetting characteristics on different mineral surfaces is still lacking at the molecular level. Here, utilizing a comprehensive set of molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the wetting characteristics of water on various mineral surfaces and obtain the corresponding water-mineral interaction properties (including the areal density of water-mineral interaction energy and the work of adhesion of the water-mineral interface), mineral wettability, and structural and diffusion properties of water molecules near the surface. We show that the diffusion properties of water molecules on mineral surfaces play an important role in wetting characteristics. We find that the contact line tends to advance forward in the jumping mode or the rolling mode during the wetting process, which depends on the diffusion capacity of the water molecules on mineral surfaces. The corresponding evolution of the solid-liquid friction coefficient during dynamic spreading is also analyzed. We further demonstrate the strong impact of isomorphic substitution and charge-balancing counterions on wetting characteristics on the surfaces of clay minerals. It is shown that the introduction of charge-balancing counterions can shift the mineral surface from strongly hydrophilic to strongly hydrophobic and lead to completely different wetting characteristics. Our results provide a clearer picture of the molecular underpinnings in mineral wetting phenomena and deepen the understanding of the control of water-mineral interactions on the wetting properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubao A
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Key Laboratory of Rock Mechanics in Hydraulic Structural Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Zhibing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Key Laboratory of Rock Mechanics in Hydraulic Structural Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ran Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Key Laboratory of Rock Mechanics in Hydraulic Structural Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yi-Feng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering Science, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Key Laboratory of Rock Mechanics in Hydraulic Structural Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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7
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Ahmadi M, Chen Z. Molecular Dynamics Investigation of Wettability Alteration of Quartz Surface under Thermal Recovery Processes. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28031162. [PMID: 36770829 PMCID: PMC9919717 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031162] [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: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the primary methods for bitumen and heavy oil recovery is a steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process. However, the mechanisms related to wettability alteration under the SAGD process still need to be fully understood. In this study, we used MD simulation to evaluate the wettability alteration under a steam injection process for bitumen and heavy oil recovery. Various oil droplets with different asphaltene contents were considered to determine the effect of an asphaltene content on the adsorption of the oil droplets onto quartz surfaces and wettability alteration. Based on the MD simulation outputs, the higher the asphaltene content, the higher the adsorption energy between the bitumen/heavy oil and quartz surfaces due to coulombic interactions. Additionally, the quartz surfaces became more oil-wet at temperatures well beyond the water boiling temperature; however, they were extremely water-wet at ambient conditions. The results of this work provide in-depth information regarding wettability alteration during in situ thermal processes for bitumen and heavy oil recovery. Furthermore, they provide helpful information for optimizing the in situ thermal processes for successful operations.
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8
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Yang Y, Che Ruslan MFA, Narayanan Nair AK, Qiao R, Sun S. Interfacial properties of the hexane + carbon dioxide + water system in the presence of hydrophilic silica. J Chem Phys 2022; 157:234704. [PMID: 36550045 DOI: 10.1063/5.0130986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to study the interfacial behavior of the CO2 + H2O and hexane + CO2 + H2O systems in the presence of hydrophilic silica at geological conditions. Simulation results for the CO2 + H2O and hexane + CO2 + H2O systems are in reasonable agreement with the theoretical predictions based on the density functional theory. In general, the interfacial tension (IFT) of the CO2 + H2O system exponentially (linearly) decreased with increasing pressure (temperature). The IFTs of the hexane + CO2 + H2O (two-phase) system decreased with the increasing mole fraction of CO2 in the hexane/CO2-rich phase xCO2 . Here, the negative surface excesses of hexane lead to a general increase in the IFTs with increasing pressure. The effect of pressure on these IFTs decreased with increasing xCO2 due to the positive surface excesses of carbon dioxide. The simulated water contact angles of the CO2 + H2O + silica system fall in the range from 43.8° to 76.0°, which is in reasonable agreement with the experimental results. These contact angles increased with pressure and decreased with temperature. Here, the adhesion tensions are influenced by the variations in fluid-fluid IFT and contact angle. The simulated water contact angles of the hexane + H2O + silica system fall in the range from 58.0° to 77.0° and are not much affected by the addition of CO2. These contact angles increased with pressure, and the pressure effect was less pronounced at lower temperatures. Here, the adhesion tensions are mostly influenced by variations in the fluid-fluid IFTs. In all studied cases, CO2 molecules could penetrate into the interfacial region between the water droplet and the silica surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafan Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China
| | - Mohd Fuad Anwari Che Ruslan
- Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE), Computational Transport Phenomena Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Arun Kumar Narayanan Nair
- Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE), Computational Transport Phenomena Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rui Qiao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Shuyu Sun
- Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE), Computational Transport Phenomena Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
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9
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Wei-Hsin Sun E, Bourg IC. Impact of organic solutes on capillary phenomena in water-CO2-quartz systems. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 629:265-275. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.08.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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10
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Gebauer D, Gale JD, Cölfen H. Crystal Nucleation and Growth of Inorganic Ionic Materials from Aqueous Solution: Selected Recent Developments, and Implications. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2107735. [PMID: 35678091 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202107735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In this review article, selected, latest theoretical, and experimental developments in the field of nucleation and crystal growth of inorganic materials from aqueous solution are highlighted, with a focus on literature after 2015 and on non-classical pathways. A key point is to emphasize the so far underappreciated role of water and solvent entropy in crystallization at all stages from solution speciation through to the final crystal. While drawing on examples from current inorganic materials where non-classical behavior has been proposed, the potential of these approaches to be adapted to a wide-range of systems is also discussed, while considering the broader implications of the current re-assessment of pathways for crystallization. Various techniques that are suitable for the exploration of crystallization pathways in aqueous solution, from nucleation to crystal growth are summarized, and a flow chart for the assignment of specific theories based on experimental observations is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Gebauer
- Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Callinstr. 9, 30167, Hannover, Germany
| | - Julian D Gale
- Curtin Institute for Computation/The Institute for Geoscience Research (TiGER), School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, PO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia
| | - Helmut Cölfen
- University of Konstanz, Physical Chemistry, Universitätsstr. 10, 78465, Konstanz, Germany
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11
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Deng Y, Wu Q, Li Z, Huang X, Rao S, Liang Y, Lu H. Crystal face dependent wettability of α-quartz: Elucidation by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry techniques combined with molecular dynamics. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 607:1699-1708. [PMID: 34592555 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.09.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Quartz is one of the most common but important minerals, and its wettability plays a significant role in affecting various natural and industrial processes. Studies have revealed that different crystal faces of quartz are with different wettabilities, but its mechanism is still vague. EXPERIMENTS AND SIMULATIONS For specifying the mechanism of crystal face dependent wettability, the contact angles of three different liquids on the crystal faces of α-quartz are measured; the time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is employed to establish the crystal surface models; molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with the surface models are performed to understand the wetting behavior at molecular scale. FINDINGS Based on the contact angle measurements, the wettabilities of different crystal faces of α-quartz are found different, which can be directly attributed to the concentration of hydroxyl group on crystal faces based on ToF-SIMS results. MD simulations yield consistent results with the contact angle order recognized from experiments, revealing that the surface hydroxyl group controls the wettability of α-quartz crystal faces. It is also recognized that the pristine surface atomic arrangement, especially the surface concentration of unsaturated bond (an intrinsic property of α-quartz), is the intrinsic cause of the difference in the concentration of hydroxyl group of the crystal surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajun Deng
- Beijing International Center for Gas Hydrate, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China; College of Engineering, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China; Department of Mechanical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China.
| | - Qianhong Wu
- Beijing International Center for Gas Hydrate, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China; School of Physics, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Zhenchao Li
- Beijing International Center for Gas Hydrate, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China; School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Xin Huang
- Beijing International Center for Gas Hydrate, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China; College of Engineering, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Shihang Rao
- Beijing International Center for Gas Hydrate, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China; College of Engineering, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Yunfeng Liang
- Department of Systems Innovation, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
| | - Hailong Lu
- Beijing International Center for Gas Hydrate, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China; School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, No.5 Yiheyuan Road Haidian District, Beijing 100871, China.
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12
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Thi Bao Le T, Divine-Ayela C, Striolo A, Cole DR. Effects of surface contamination on the interfacial properties of CO 2/water/calcite systems. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:18885-18892. [PMID: 34612426 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp01106e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the wetting properties of reservoir rocks can be of great benefit for advanced applications such as the effective trapping and geological storage of CO2. Despite their importance, not all mechanisms responsible for wetting mineral surfaces in subsurface environments are well understood. Factors such as temperature, pressure and salinity are often studied, achieving results with little unanimity; other possible factors are left somewhat unexplored. One such factor is the effect of contamination. In the present study, the effects of adding a non-aqueous organic contaminant, ethanol, on the CO2-water interfacial tension (IFT) and the CO2/water/calcite contact angle were investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. Within the conditions studied, relatively small amounts of ethanol cause a significant decrease in the CO2-water IFTs, as well as a pronounced increase in the water-calcite-CO2 three phase contact angle. The latter result is due to the decrease of the IFT between CO2 and water and the strong adsorption of ethanol on the solid substrate. These findings could be helpful for explaining how impurities can affect experimental data and could lead to effective carbon sequestration strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tran Thi Bao Le
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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13
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Ho TA, Wang Y. Molecular Origin of Wettability Alteration of Subsurface Porous Media upon Gas Pressure Variations. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:41330-41338. [PMID: 34410713 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c11540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Upon extraction/injection of a large quantity of gas from/into a subsurface system in shale gas production or carbon sequestration, the gas pressure varies remarkably, which may significantly change the wettability of porous media involved. Mechanistic understanding of such changes is critical for designing and optimizing a related subsurface engineering process. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we have calculated the contact angle of a water droplet on various solid surfaces (kerogen, pyrophyllite, calcite, gibbsite, and montmorillonite) as a function of CO2 or CH4 gas pressure up to 200 atm at a temperature of 300 K. The calculation reveals a complex behavior of surface wettability alteration by gas pressure variation depending on surface chemistry and structure, and molecular interactions of fluid molecules with surfaces. As the CO2 gas pressure increases, a partially hydrophilic kerogen surface becomes highly hydrophobic, while a calcite surface becomes more hydrophilic. Considering kerogen and calcite being the major components of a shale formation, we postulate that the wettability alteration of a solid surface induced by a gas pressure change may play an important role in fluid flows in shale gas production and geological carbon sequestration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuan A Ho
- Geochemistry Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Yifeng Wang
- Nuclear Waste Disposal Research and Analysis Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
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Interaction of low salinity surfactant nanofluids with carbonate surfaces and molecular level dynamics at fluid-fluid interface at ScCO 2 loading. J Colloid Interface Sci 2020; 586:315-325. [PMID: 33148450 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.10.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS The advanced low salinity aqueous formulations are yet to be validated as an injection fluid for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) from the carbonate reservoirs and CO2 geosequestration. Interaction of various ionic species present in the novel low salinity surfactant nanofluids with scCO2/CO2 saturated aqueous phase interface and at the interface of CO2 saturated aqueous phase/mixed wet (with CO2 and Decane) limestone surface at the conditions of low salinity at reservoir conditions are to yet to be understood. EXPERIMENTS This study, carried out for the first time in low salinity at scCO2 loading conditions at 20 MPa pressure and 343 K temperature, comprises of wettability study of the limestone surface by aqueous phase contact angle measurements using ZrO2 nanoparticles (in the concentration range of 100-2000 mg/L) and 0.82 mM Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant. Molecular dynamics simulations results were used to understand the underlying mechanism of wettability alteration and interfacial tension (IFT) change. FINDINGS This study reveals that a low dosage (100 mg/L) of ZrO2 nanoparticles forming ZrO2-CTAB nano-complexes helps in wettability alteration of the rock surface to more water-wetting state; certain ionic species augment this effect when used in appropriate concentration. Also, these nano-complexes helps in scCO2/CO2 saturated aqueous phase IFT reduction. This study can be used to design advanced low salinity injection fluids for water alternating gas injection for EOR and CO2 geosequestration projects.
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