Investigation of Single Phase NanoCellulose Transport Through Porous Media
Abstract
The application of nanotechnology to the petroleum industry has seen many recent advancements. Nanocellulose is an emerging nanoparticle at the forefront of research. Before nanocellulose can be injected into petroleum reservoirs, further understanding is needed as to the retention mechanisms that occur during nanocellulose transport through porous media. A series of unconsolidated sandpack floods were preformed with nanocellulose and the resulting retention and permeability reduction were measured. The experimental variables include nanocellulose type, sand grain size, flowrate, and salinity. It was found that all types of nanocellulose tested showed significantly different transport properties. Retention and permeability reduction increased as grain size decreased or flowrate decreased. As a general trend, the larger the size of aggregates in bulk solution, the greater the retention and permeability reduction. Salinity was found to be the primary parameter affecting transport. Increased salinity caused additional aggregation which resulted in increased straining and filter cake formation.
Description
Keywords
Engineering--Chemical, Materials Science, Engineering--Petroleum
Citation
Dziuba, C. (2017). Investigation of Single Phase NanoCellulose Transport Through Porous Media (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/26660