2020 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Mitigating Asphaltene Deposition Using Modified Poly-Vinyl Alcohol and Silica Nanoparticles
| Project/Area Number |
19K15490
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| Research Institution | Kyushu University |
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Principal Investigator |
NGUELE RONALD 九州大学, 工学研究院, 助教 (50821401)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
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| Keywords | Asphaltene deposition / Nanoparticle / Nanofluid / CO2-EOR |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Asphaltenes are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) that precipitate near the wellbore during oil production using carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. Several mitigation schemes, including the injection of inhibiting nanomaterials, have been proposed. The primary purpose of the research aimed at probing the mechanisms of asphaltene inhibition at the nanoscale with a focus on the interactions between the asphaltene and functionalized nanoparticle (FNP) or nanocomposites (FNCP). It has been found that the behavior of asphaltene at the interface with a polymer-based nanofluids is a spontaneous process. It has been found that the presence of silica-based nanofluid film precludes the adsorption. The degree to which the adsorption of asphaltenes is mitigated depends on (a) the structural parameters of asphaltene, (b) the chemistry of the polymer within which the nanoparticles acts upon the adsorption. Alumina-based nanofluids, on the other hand, have shown promising results in inhibiting the aggregation of asphaltenes, which is a severe problem in oil industry. A new injection scheme has been subsequently proposed. The results of the present work have been disseminated in top-tier journals including Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects (Elsevier).
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