Iranian Scientists Produce Nanocomposite Hydrogels to Increase Oil Fields’ Output

The achievement will reduce costs caused by pipeline erosion and well blockages and decrease environmental damage.

A team of Iranian researchers succeeded in designing and developing smart nanocomposite hydrogels that, with the ability to control and reduce sand production from oil reservoirs, can play a significant role in increasing productivity and reducing costs in the oil industry. This achievement, aimed at promoting enhanced oil recovery technology and as an economic-environmental approach, can become one of the country's strategic tools in preserving national resources.

The main innovation of this research team lies in the use of smart nanocomposite hydrogels. These hydrogels can behave dually in relation to oil and water. They swell and increase in volume in an aqueous environment, while they shrink in an oil environment. This smart behavior allows the product to simultaneously reduce the amount of produced water and improve oil flow.

Another important feature of these nanocomposites is their capability to change the zeta potential of sand particles and increase the strength of the formation. In other words, this material causes sand to stick together and prevents them from moving freely in the reservoir fluid flow, without damaging the formation.

This hydrogel nanocomposite has a three-dimensional and resistant structure, in which the presence of nanoparticles increases thermal stability and mechanical strength. Such features are very crucial for the harsh and challenging conditions of oil reservoirs.

Also, the product has an unparalleled performance in terms of optimal consumption, acceptable viscosity for injection, permeability in the depth of the reservoir, and adhesion to the sand surface. Thus, in addition to preventing sand movement and reducing water production, the product does not cause any destruction or damage to the formation and can be a suitable alternative to the current costly and sometimes destructive methods.

In a relevant development in May, an Iranian researcher at Wichita State University and his colleagues had also developed a new generation of lightweight, ultra-strong nanocomposites for advanced industrial applications by using helical carbon nanotubes, a major step in production of reliable materials for the aerospace, energy and medical device industries.

A team of researchers at Wichita State University (WSU), led by Davoud Asgari, an associate professor of mechanical engineering in the WSU College of Engineering and director of the Multipurpose Nanocomposites Laboratory, developed a new generation of nanocomposites for advanced industrial applications. The product has become an innovative type of nanocomposite that could be a milestone in the design of lightweight materials with high strength and durability for the aerospace, automotive, marine, wind energy, oil and gas, medical devices and other high-density technology industries.

Asgari described delamination and weak bonding between layers as a common challenge in traditional composites, and said, "But the helical structure of our nanotubes, within the resin matrix and between the reinforcing fibers, creates a kind of mechanical entanglement that strengthens the structure from within. The result will be stronger parts for airplanes, cars, and even protective equipment."

Unlike straight nanotubes, helical nanotubes are better locked into resin matrices due to their springy shape. Using controlled chemical treatments and proprietary processes, the WSU team was able to disperse these nanotubes uniformly into epoxy resins, improving properties such as tensile strength, fracture toughness, modulus, strain to failure and hardness, even at very low weight percentages.

4155/v

By: Azra Varasteh