Title:Synthesis and Characterization of Magnetic Nanoparticles and its Study to
Displace Oil from a Hele-Shaw Cell
Volume: 14
Issue: 1
Author(s): Ana B. Fossati*, Roht Yanina L., Miriam M. Alho, Ippolito Irene and Silvia E. Jacobo
Affiliation:
- Departamento de Química, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ingeniería, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ingeniería, Laboratorio Químico de Materiales Magnéticos Aplicados a la
Ingeniería (LaQuiMMAI), Instituto de Química Aplicada a la Ingeniería (IQAI), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Keywords:
Nanoparticles, ferrofluid, recovery, fracture, nanotechnology, magnetic nanoparticles.
Abstract:
Introduction: Oil spill incidents caused by human activities can cause major habitat damage
and pose serious threats to all living organisms living on and within sources of water and soil.
Finding a solution for oil spills is necessary to protect ecosystems, the environment, and health. Nanotechnology
seems to be an interesting tool in many applications, such as soil and water remediation
and oil recovery. Nanoparticles are a good alternative since they are not as expensive as chemicals
used to remove oil.
Objective: The prime purpose of this research work was the comparison of the additional displacement
of sunflower oil from a single fracture using ferrofluids prepared with bare and novel covalent
functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. Experiences were performed at constant nanoparticle concentration
and variable flow rate and at constant flow rate and variable nanoparticle concentration. The
novel ferrofluid stability and its recovery properties related to a low-cost process were explored.
Methods: Tests were carried out by image analysis. Stable ferrofluids were prepared using magnetic
nanoparticles (MNPs) and novel covalent functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MSMs). Their ability
to displace the residual oil in a single fracture model previously invaded by an aqueous brine solution
was tested. A flow channel of a single fracture by a typical transparent Hele-Shaw cell with 12% of its
area covered by a random distribution of obstacles was modeled. Oil recovery was performed at three
different flow rates: 0.36, 1.80, and 3.60 mL min-1, using relatively low ferrofluid concentrations
(0.0125 wt%). Oil recovery was also carried out with MSM ferrofluid at a constant flow rate of 1.80
and 3.60 mL min-1 at different nanoparticle concentrations (0.00625, 0.0125, and 0.025 wt%).
Results: Ferrofluids prepared with MSMs were more effective for oil recovery than those prepared
with bare nanoparticles due to their surfactant behavior for all flows studied here. A 7.86% extra
percentage of oil was removed after brine flooding. Oil recovery using MSM ferrofluid at a constant
flow rate of 1.80 and 3.60 mL min-1 increased linearly with nanoparticle concentration. Magnetic
nanoparticles can be efficiently recovered and reused in at least three oil displacements for the fracture
model used as covalent functionalization promotes ferrofluids' stability.
Conclusion: The characteristics of the MSM amphiphilic novel coating cause the nanoparticles to be
attracted to both water and oil, enhancing oil displacement. These results indicate that this novel
material, whose structure stability is related to the covalent bonding of organic coating, can be considered
for remediation and oil recovery in fractured media.
