Full Characterization of CO 2 -Oil Properties On-Chip: Solubility, Diffusivity, Extraction Pressure, Miscibility, and Contact Angle

• Published in: Analytical chemistry (Washington) Vol. 90; no. 4; pp. 2461 - 2467
• Main Authors: Sharbatian, Atena, Abedini, Ali, Qi, ZhenBang, Sinton, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 20.02.2018
• ISSN: 0003-2700; 1520-6882
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b05358

Carbon capture, storage, and utilization technologies target a reduction in net CO emissions to mitigate greenhouse gas effects. The largest such projects worldwide involve storing CO through enhanced oil recovery-a technologically and economically feasible approach that combines both storage and oil recovery. Successful implementation relies on detailed measurements of CO -oil properties at relevant reservoir conditions (P = 2.0-13.0 MPa and T = 23 and 50 °C). In this paper, we demonstrate a microfluidic method to quantify the comprehensive suite of mutual properties of a CO and crude oil mixture including solubility, diffusivity, extraction pressure, minimum miscibility pressure (MMP), and contact angle. The time-lapse oil swelling/extraction in response to CO exposure under stepwise increasing pressure was quantified via fluorescence microscopy, using the inherent fluorescence property of the oil. The CO solubilities and diffusion coefficients were determined from the swelling process with measurements in strong agreement with previous results. The CO -oil MMP was determined from the subsequent oil extraction process with measurements within 5% of previous values. In addition, the oil-CO -silicon contact angle was measured throughout the process, with contact angle increasing with pressure. In contrast with conventional methods, which require days and ∼500 mL of fluid sample, the approach here provides a comprehensive suite of measurements, 100-fold faster with less than 1 μL of sample, and an opportunity to better inform large-scale CO projects.