Showing papers by "Mingwei Zhao published in 2016"
TL;DR: In this article, a reusable viscoelastic surfactant (rVES) fracturing fluid using a self-designed and synthesized surfactants was developed and extensive experiments were conducted.
69 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the performance and effects of various parameters were systematically evaluated and the gelation mechanism was proposed, illuminating the detailed gelation process clearly, and the thermal stability measurement indicates that the gel can maintain stability up to 140°C.
60 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a profile control agent, termed a dispersed particle gel (DPG), has been developed and reported to achieve in-depth profile control and further improve oil recovery.
Abstract: To achieve in-depth profile control and further improve oil recovery, a new profile control agent, termed a dispersed particle gel (DPG), has been developed and reported. In this paper, the DPG particles with sizes ranging from submicrometer to micrometer are prepared successfully from phenol–formaldehyde cross-linked polymer gel by the high speed shearing method. The preparation method is convenient and easy to scale up for the field application. The microscopic characteristics of the DPG have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Parallel sandpack tests and microscopic visualization tests have been conducted to gain insights into the profile control mechanism. Additionally, scanning electron microscope (SEM) has been used to study the distribution of DPG particles in porous media. The results show that the DPG particles can block the high permeability layers by accumulating in large pore spaces or by directly plugging small pore throats. Meanwhil...
53 citations
TL;DR: It is encouraging to discover that binding energy and electrostatic interaction are the basic driving forces in the formation of wormlike micelles in the CDIAB system.
Abstract: Imagine a novel solution that can be switched reversibly from low viscosity to high viscosity with only one additive, upon different commands. To this end, we have developed a simple and effective route to form smart, multi-response wormlike micelles based on a synthesized surfactant, N-cetyl-N,N-diisopropanolammonium bromide (CDIAB). Moreover, we provide new insight into the effects of synergy on this smart wormlike micelle. Rheological measurements were used to study the morphology of the wormlike micelles; (1)H NMR spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to investigate the molecular arrangements and mechanism of the synergy involved in the reversible reactions of pH-response and CO2-response of the micelles in solution. Based on the abovementioned results, it is encouraging to discover that binding energy and electrostatic interaction are the basic driving forces in the formation of wormlike micelles. Moreover, stable viscoelastic behavior was observed in the CDIAB system, with strong binding energy and electrostatic interactions. It is highly anticipated that the synergy observed in this surfactant will be of particular interest due to its novel mechanism and unique properties.
21 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a temporary plugging agent based on polymer gel was successfully prepared for acidizing treatment, and the gelation time, gel-breaking time, viscosity changes, temporary pluging capacity, and permeability recovery capacity were investigated.
Abstract: A temporary plugging agent based on polymer gel was successfully prepared for temporary plugging in acidizing treatment. The gelation time, gel-breaking time, viscosity changes, temporary plugging capacity, and permeability recovery capacity were investigated. Increasing the polymer and cross-linker concentration reduced the gelation time of the polymer gel and temporary plugging agent, but caused difficulties in breaking the temporary plugging agent. Ammonium persulfate (APS) could be the driving force for the differences of gelation time between the polymer gel and temporary plugging agent. Additionally, increasing APS concentration made the temporary plugging agent break easily. Viscosity changes are the most important feature of a temporary plugging agent. According to the viscosity changes, the whole process can be divided into two major stages: the cross-linking reaction stage and the degradation reaction stage. The temporary plugging agent had a good plugging capacity which could effectively plug the high permeability zones. By temporary plugging, the pollution near wellbore was removed without damaging non-target zones. As a result, the permeability of the low permeability zones was greatly improved, and the permeability of the high permeability zones was effectively recovered.
19 citations
TL;DR: Molecular dynamics simulation results suggest that the morphology of self-assembly can be regulated from spherical micells to wormlike micelles by the addition of HDBAC.
Abstract: The formation of self-assemblies in mixed amino acid-based anionic N-hexadecanoylglutamic acid (HGA) and cationic benzyldimethyl hexadecylammonium chloride (HDBAC) surfactants in aqueous solutions has been characterized. With rheological analysis, the viscoelastic properties of the mixed system are found to be completely dependent on the concentration of HDBAC. Molecular dynamics simulation results suggest that the morphology of self-assembly can be regulated from spherical micelles to wormlike micelles by the addition of HDBAC. The aromatic group of HDBAC adsorption provides a "charge-neutral" function to the micelle corona; the repulsive interactions within the head group of HGA are progressively screened and closely packed. In addition, the dynamic processes and formation mechanisms of self-assembly were analyzed in detail with molecular simulation techniques.
16 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a bio-based nonionic-anionic amphoteric sulfonate type surfactant with excellent interfacial and surface properties was synthesized to regenerate the non-edible waste cooking oil and significantly reduce the negative effect on human being and the environment.
14 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the surface adsorption and micelle formation of N -alkyl- N -methylmorpholinium bromide ([Mor 1,n ]Br n = 12, 14, 16] in aqueous solution is investigated.
12 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the micelle-to-vesicle aggregate transition through the addition of β-cyclodextrin 1 (β-CD) in mixed catanionic surfactant aqueous solutions.
12 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a simple photo-responsive system consisting of cationic surfactant, N -methyl- N -cetylpyrrolidinium bromide (C 16 MPB), and the photoresponsive organic derivative, trans - ortho -methoxycinnamic acid ( trans -OMCA) was studied by UV spectra, cryo-transmission electron microscopy, and rheological measurements.
11 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a novel gel phase was constructed in a catanionic surfactant system with the compositions of 1-tetradecyl-3methylimidazolium chloride (C14mimCl) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS).
Abstract: A novel gel phase was constructed in a catanionic surfactant system with the compositions of 1-tetradecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (C14mimCl) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The gel phases were studied through visual observations, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheological measurements, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The visual observation and DSC confirmed the formation of gels and phase transitions from gel to sol. The dynamic rheological results showed the viscoelastic properties of gels. The SEM technique was used to further indicate the microstructure of gels. Finally, the formation mechanisms of gels are proposed based on the critical packing parameter. We expect to develop a new route to construct the gels.