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Improved viscoelasticity of xanthan gum through self‐association with surfactant: β‐cyclodextrin inclusion complexes for applications in enhanced oil recovery
Author(s) -
Wei Bing,
RomeroZerón Laura,
Rodrigue Denis
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.23912
Subject(s) - xanthan gum , materials science , pulmonary surfactant , viscoelasticity , chemical engineering , brine , oil in place , rheology , biopolymer , cyclodextrin , composite material , polymer , chromatography , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering , petroleum
This article presents the chemical formulation and rheological properties of a novel self‐assembling biopolymer (SAP) system, which could be a useful alternative in polymer flooding for oil recovery, especially under harsh reservoir conditions of temperature, salinity, and hardness. The nonbonding associations of the side branches of xanthan gum with the surfactant: β‐cyclodextrin inclusion complexes in aqueous solution generate an improved viscoelastic SAP network system. This system exhibits superior mechanical and thermal stability, and also tolerance to elevated brine salinity and hardness due to the “interlocking effect.” Sandpack flood tests conducted at reservoir conditions (Pelican Lake reservoir, Alberta, Canada) demonstrate that the SAP system can produce considerably higher resistance factors than the baseline xanthan gum during flow in porous media, which indicates its effectiveness in controlling the mobility of the displacing fluid. Moreover, this system shows potential as in situ permeability modifier. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:523–532, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers