Using colloidal deposition to mobilize immiscible fluids from porous media

Three-Dimensional Visualization Reveals Pore-Scale Mechanisms of Colloid Transport and Retention in Two-Phase Flow

“…Because controlling colloid transport and retention in porous media is needed in diverse applications, we anticipate that our findings have broad environmental implications. For example, our results contribute to a better understanding of the transport behavior of colloids (such as viruses, bacteria, and nanoparticles) in unsaturated soil and have implications for improving the predictions of pathogen contamination migration and fate in different geological settings. − In addition, the colloid behavior investigated here is closely related to the remediation of organic contaminants, where the microbial colloids that widely exist in soil have been successfully used to degrade oil spills from petroleum exploitation and production. , Furthermore, the findings in this work may have bearings for enhanced oil recovery technologies, in which colloid deposition can be controlled to facilitate oil mobilization by increasing the viscous stresses exerted on trapped fluid droplets . Further studies are required to elucidate the formation and stabilization mechanisms of liquid filaments as well as the influence of matrix heterogeneity and surface roughness on colloid transport and retention.…”

“…Therefore, our experimental approach can provide a reference for studying colloid behaviors in various complex environments. 9,10,16 Experimental Procedures. Initially, the wetting fluid carrying glass beads is injected into the capillary tube at a high flow rate (Q = 200 μL/min) to form a randomly packed and compact porous medium (no displacement of the glass beads occurs during the two-phase flow or colloid transport).…”

“…70,71 Furthermore, the findings in this work may have bearings for enhanced oil recovery technologies, in which colloid deposition can be controlled to facilitate oil mobilization by increasing the viscous stresses exerted on trapped fluid droplets. 10 Further studies are required to elucidate the formation and stabilization mechanisms of liquid filaments as well as the influence of matrix heterogeneity and surface roughness on colloid transport and retention.…”

“…Colloid transport mechanisms also largely dictate the fate of nanoparticulate contaminants and the migration of many microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and spores in soils and groundwater. − For this reason, a capacity to understand and predict the fate of colloids in subsurface media is of paramount importance for controlling the spread of contaminants. Many studies of colloid and colloid-facilitated contaminant transport have been conducted under both saturated − and unsaturated conditions. − Although these studies provide tremendous insights into colloid transport and retention mechanisms, it is still a challenge to characterize the detailed dynamics of colloid transport in a disordered three-dimensional (3D) porous medium, especially in a two-phase flow situation due to the existence of multiphase interfaces and film straining. ,− …”

Modeling Multiphase Flow Within and Around Deformable Porous Materials: A Darcy-Brinkman-Biot Approach

“…The necessity to investigate a larger range of systems is evidenced by the fact that experimental studies often reach conflicting conclusions. For example, some studies maintain that particle transport suppresses fluid flow by reducing the permeability of porous media (Civan, 2010;Liu et al, 1995;Wiesner et al, 1996), while others state that particles can actually help enhance flow (Weber et al, 2009;Kersting et al, 1999;Ryan & Elimelech, 1996;Schneider et al, 2021). Even so, assuming that we could obtain a large-enough data set, there is no guarantee that we could derive general relationships between variables: some conclusions may only hold at low flow rates and/or low grain heterogeneity, while others may only hold at low fluid viscosities and/or high particle concentrations.…”