Al-Azani Khaled, Hussein Mohamed Abdrabou, Ibrahim Ahmed Farid
Department of Petroleum Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Interdisciplinary Research Center for Advanced Materials, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 31;15(1):27957. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-12229-7.
Foam has been widely used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and CO sequestration due to its ability to improve sweep efficiency and control gas mobility. However, foam instability poses challenges for long-term applications. While nanoparticles have been explored as foam stabilizers, their high cost and limited availability hinder large-scale use. This study investigates red mud-derived nanoparticles (RMNPs), synthesized from industrial waste, as an affordable and sustainable alternative to traditional foam stabilizers. RMNPs were produced by ball milling at varying milling durations, achieving sizes below 200 nm. Characterization of the RMNPs was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), zeta potential measurements, and particle size analysis. Foaming solutions were prepared with alpha-olefin sulfonate (AOS) anionic surfactant, with and without the RMNPs, in deionized water, seawater, and brines (NaCl and CaCl), covering pH 3-11. Foam stability was evaluated via handshake tests and dynamic foam analyses using nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases. Results showed that incorporating RMNPs significantly enhanced foam stability, increasing foam half-life by up to 60% with nitrogen and 57% with CO. Nanoparticles milled for 30 h yielded optimal performance, forming fine and uniform bubble structures. Zeta potential analysis confirmed strong hydrophilic properties of the RMNPs, promoting stability in aqueous solutions. pH sensitivity tests indicated optimal stability at pH 4-5, while highly acidic conditions (pH 3) negatively affected stability. This work highlights the potential of red mud-derived nanoparticles as a low-cost stabilizer for foam applications in EOR and CO sequestration, supporting further optimization under reservoir conditions.
由于泡沫能够提高波及效率并控制气体流动性，因此已被广泛用于强化采油（EOR）和二氧化碳封存。然而，泡沫的不稳定性给长期应用带来了挑战。虽然纳米颗粒已被用作泡沫稳定剂进行探索，但其高成本和有限的可用性阻碍了大规模使用。本研究调查了由工业废料合成的赤泥衍生纳米颗粒（RMNP），作为传统泡沫稳定剂的一种经济且可持续的替代品。通过不同研磨时间的球磨制备RMNP，使其尺寸低于200纳米。使用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、能量色散X射线光谱（EDX）、zeta电位测量和粒度分析对RMNP进行表征。在去离子水、海水和盐水（氯化钠和氯化钙）中，使用α-烯烃磺酸盐（AOS）阴离子表面活性剂，分别制备有和没有RMNP的发泡溶液，pH范围为3-11。通过握手试验和使用氮气和二氧化碳气体的动态泡沫分析来评估泡沫稳定性。结果表明，加入RMNP显著提高了泡沫稳定性，氮气条件下泡沫半衰期提高了60%，二氧化碳条件下提高了57%。研磨30小时的纳米颗粒表现出最佳性能，形成了细小且均匀的气泡结构。zeta电位分析证实了RMNP具有很强的亲水性，促进了其在水溶液中的稳定性。pH敏感性测试表明，在pH 4-5时稳定性最佳，而高酸性条件（pH 3）对稳定性有负面影响。这项工作突出了赤泥衍生纳米颗粒作为EOR和二氧化碳封存中泡沫应用的低成本稳定剂的潜力，支持在储层条件下进一步优化。
