Studies of Bitumen−Silica and Oil−Silica Interactions in Ionic Liquids

Abstract

Previous work in this laboratory has shown that bitumen and oil can be readily separated from sand, using ionic liquids at ambient temperatures. To probe the mechanism underlying the relative ease of separation, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to study interaction forces and adhesion between bitumen surfaces and a silica probe in the presence of liquid media. The energy of adhesion between bitumen samples obtained from both Canadian and U.S. oil sands are approximately an order of magnitude smaller in an ionic liquid medium than in aqueous solution. This behavior was traced to the ability of ionic liquids to form layered charge structures on surfaces. Although interactions between the silica probe and an aged crude oil sample could not be determined, because the probe adhesion to the oil film exceeded the force capacity of the AFM, thermodynamic considerations indicate that the energy of separation of silica from aged oil is also significantly smaller in an ionic liquid medium than in aqueous solution.

Understanding droplet bridging in ionic liquid-based Pickering emulsions

“…Confined between tightly packed particles (in bridges), the IL would have interacted with many surfaces may have assumed an ordered structure. Recent AFM studies have indicated that this layering phenomenon is important in IL-particle interactions [45]. The existence of such a structure would also enhance the stability of the inter-droplet bridges.…”

Recovery Improvement of Gravity Driven Steam Applications Using New Generation Chemical Additives

“…However, its capabilities in acting in as a surface agent between bitumen and sand. Hogshead et al (2011) investigated with an atomic force microscopie the forces between bitumen and silica with 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMMIM BF 4 ]) and observed a reduction in adhesion by using the ionic liquid. Also, Babadagli (2016, 2017) proved the wettability modification of BMMIM BF 4 to a less oil wet surface at different temperatures (25°C, 90°C, and 180°C) and the improvement of gravity force by the chemical agent sodium metaborate (NaBO2).…”

Efficiency of Ionic Liquid 1-Ethyl-3-Methyl-Imidazolium Acetate ([EMIM][Ac]) in Enhanced Medium Oil Recovery

“…Compared to other commercial chemicals, ionic liquids have many advantages such as their commercial availability, solvent stability, non-corrosiveness, recyclability, and low toxicity [10]. Many studies presented the extraction of more than 90% of bitumen from oil sand by using several IL (imidazolium base) mixed with non-polar solvents [11] [14]. Moreover, increasing ILs concentration in salt water resulted in an increase in oil recovery factor from sandstone and carbonate reservoirs [15].…”