{"title":"Synergistic hydrocarbon surfactant system for enhancing CO2-oil miscibility: Insights from vanishing interfacial tension experiments","authors":"Jiawei Zhao, Shaopeng Li, Songyan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ces.2026.125371","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies advance, CO<sub>2</sub> flooding has gained significant attention due to its dual benefits of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and geological CO<sub>2</sub> sequestration. However, for high-temperature reservoirs and crude oils enriched in heavy components, the MMP of the CO<sub>2</sub>-crude oil system is often high, which makes miscible flooding difficult to achieve under reservoir conditions. In this study, tri-isobutyl citrate (TIBC) was synthesized via acid-catalyzed esterification and characterized by FTIR and <sup>1</sup>H NMR to confirm its structure. TIBC was then blended with Span 80 to construct a miscibility-enhancing system dominated by hydrocarbon chains and oxygen-containing functional groups, referred to as the system (TS), aimed at reducing the MMP of the CO<sub>2</sub>-crude oil system. The results indicate that when the mass ratio of TIBC to Span 80 is 3:7 and the total concentration is 1.0 wt%, the system exhibits the optimal performance, reducing the MMP by 18.91%. Analysis of oil droplet interfacial behavior reveals synergistically improved CO<sub>2</sub> dissolution and extraction in crude oil, leading to continuous IFT reduction. The system ultimately reaches near-miscible or miscible conditions. The findings provide important guidance for EOR through CO<sub>2</sub> miscible flooding and for promoting CO<sub>2</sub> utilization and geological sequestration</div></div>","PeriodicalId":271,"journal":{"name":"Chemical Engineering Science","volume":"339 ","pages":"Article 125371"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1000,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Chemical Engineering Science","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009250926020865","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, CHEMICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
As carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies advance, CO2 flooding has gained significant attention due to its dual benefits of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and geological CO2 sequestration. However, for high-temperature reservoirs and crude oils enriched in heavy components, the MMP of the CO2-crude oil system is often high, which makes miscible flooding difficult to achieve under reservoir conditions. In this study, tri-isobutyl citrate (TIBC) was synthesized via acid-catalyzed esterification and characterized by FTIR and 1H NMR to confirm its structure. TIBC was then blended with Span 80 to construct a miscibility-enhancing system dominated by hydrocarbon chains and oxygen-containing functional groups, referred to as the system (TS), aimed at reducing the MMP of the CO2-crude oil system. The results indicate that when the mass ratio of TIBC to Span 80 is 3:7 and the total concentration is 1.0 wt%, the system exhibits the optimal performance, reducing the MMP by 18.91%. Analysis of oil droplet interfacial behavior reveals synergistically improved CO2 dissolution and extraction in crude oil, leading to continuous IFT reduction. The system ultimately reaches near-miscible or miscible conditions. The findings provide important guidance for EOR through CO2 miscible flooding and for promoting CO2 utilization and geological sequestration
期刊介绍:
Chemical engineering enables the transformation of natural resources and energy into useful products for society. It draws on and applies natural sciences, mathematics and economics, and has developed fundamental engineering science that underpins the discipline.
Chemical Engineering Science (CES) has been publishing papers on the fundamentals of chemical engineering since 1951. CES is the platform where the most significant advances in the discipline have ever since been published. Chemical Engineering Science has accompanied and sustained chemical engineering through its development into the vibrant and broad scientific discipline it is today.