Nanoparticle-surfactant stabilized foams
AssigneeCnergreen Corp.
InventorsAli Telmadarreie, Mingzhe Dong, Steven L. Bryant
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Stabilized foams are provided, adapted in particular for subterranean applications in hydrocarbon recovery operations. The foams are stabilized with surfactant-decorated nanoparticles, and the decoration of the nanoparticles with surfactant may be titrated to tune the stabilization of the foam.
Claims20
A foam composition comprising a surfactant-decorated nanoparticle, wherein the nanoparticle comprises a charged surface characterized by a capacity to bear a charge, and an oppositely-charged ionic surfactant non-covalently decorates only a portion of the charged surface of the nanoparticle, the surfactant and the nanoparticle being present respectively in the foam composition in a surfactant concentration and a nanoparticle concentration, wherein the surfactant-decorated nanoparticle is present in the foam composition in a surfactant-decorated nanoparticle concentration that stabilizes the foam in the presence of a hydrocarbon and/or in the presence of a saline aqueous medium, compared to the stability of a foam having only the surfactant present at the surfactant concentration or a foam having only the nanoparticle present at the nanoparticle concentration.
A method for stabilizing a foam comprising forming the foam with a surfactant-decorated nanoparticle, wherein the nanoparticle comprises a charged surface characterized by a capacity to bear a charge, and an oppositely-charged ionic surfactant non-covalently decorates only a portion of the charged surface of the nanoparticle, the surfactant and the nanoparticle being present respectively in the foam composition in a surfactant concentration and a nanoparticle concentration, wherein the surfactant-decorated nanoparticle is present in the foam composition in a surfactant-decorated nanoparticle concentration that stabilizes the foam in the presence of a hydrocarbon and/or in the presence of a saline aqueous medium, compared to the stability of a foam having only the surfactant present at the surfactant concentration or a foam having only the nanoparticle present at the nanoparticle concentration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.