Metin C.O., Nguyen Q.P.
The University of Texas at Austin, US
Keywords: adsorption, clay, clay swelling, formation damage, montmorillonite, polyethylene glycol, quaternary ammonium, sulfonate, surface modified silica nanoparticles
The interaction of silica nanoparticles with montmorillonite clay was investigated by visual swelling tests, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The adsorption of silica nanoparticles onto montmorillonite was also studied with a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Silica nanoparticles with four different surfaces (unmodified, surface modified with anionic (sulfonate), cationic (quaternary ammonium (quat)) or nonionic (polyethylene glycol (PEG)) surfactant) were used. The adsorption of unmodified and sulfonate modified nanoparticles on clay was found to be insignificant. However, PEG and quat/PEG modified nanoparticles adsorbed significantly on montmorillonite. Adsorption isotherms were calculated for those nanoparticles.It is concluded that unmodified or sulfonate modified silica nanoparticles do not have any effect on clay swelling. However, PEG modified or quat/PEG modified silica nanoparticles decrease the extent of clay swelling. The presence of potassium ion improves the effectiveness of the inhibition of clay swelling by these nanoparticles. This study brings new insight into the understanding and modeling of the adsorption of surface modified silica nanoparticles onto clay minerals.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: Technical Proceedings of the 2014 Clean Technology Conference and Trade Show
Published: June 15, 2014
Pages: 186 - 189
Industry sector: Energy & Sustainability
Topic: Materials for Oil & Gas
ISBN: 978-1-4822-5819-6