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. 2022 Mar 18;7(12):9984–9994. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.1c07123

Table 3. Summary of Studies Testing the Impact of NP Type on the Stability of CO2 Foams.

nanoparticles/surfactant/polymer optimum concentration of NP/surfactant/polymer lab conditions salinity half-life time enhanced oil recovery impacts main results ref
SiO2/AOS or CTAB/PVA 0.06 wt %/0.06 wt %/0.15 wt % 40 °C, 1.0 MPa 2 g/L of NaCl 7–10 min increased crude oil’s sweep efficiency under harsh reservoir conditions; oil has a negative effect on the stability of foam until PVA polymer was introduced because it decreased the contact surface of the foam and the oil; in addition to preventing gas diffusion, the polymer reduced the Gibb’s free energy which is responsible for creating small bubbles in addition to the two layers formed by surfactants and NPs, the use of polymers also forms a third protective layer; as a result, the strong capillary forces near the plateau border are reduced, allowing the film fluid to remain in the lamellae, resulting in foam stability (30)
Al2O3/AOS or CTAB/PVA 0.01 wt %/0.06 wt %/0.15 wt % 8–11 min
SiO2/SDS (EH-9, DTAB)/ HEC 50000 ppm/0.02 wt %/0.02 wt % 43, 57, 72 °C, 8.96 MPa 5 wt % of NaCl 30 min - an enhancement in the thermal stability of aqueous CO2 foams at HPHT and an increase in apparent viscosity; as a result of adding polymer to the SiO2-stabilized CO2 foam system, the spatial SiO2 network and foam stability were strengthened; also, the morphologic distribution of NPs at the bubble interface are improved (31)
SiO2/AOS/– 1 wt %/3.5 wt %/- ambient temperature, 1 MPa - 50 min enhanced oil recovery by about 13.8–22.4%; this is due to changes in the oil/water IFT, emulsification, wettability, and stability/elasticity of foam films reduced oil/water IFT, increased the life of foam, and enhanced the adsorption of NPs on the film; the improvement is due to NPB adsorption at the interface between CO2 and water and the aggregation of NPB in the foam films (22)