Ionic Liquids as Clay Swelling Inhibitors: Adsorption Study

Abstract

This study investigates the inhibition performance of ionic liquids (ILs) on clay (montmorillonite) swelling and the possible inhibition mechanism. The adsorption of various types of ILs in swelling clay was studied by adsorption isotherms, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Experiments were conducted at different concentrations for different types of ILs. Moreover, the adsorption isotherms were modeled using Langmuir, Freundlich, Sips, Redlich–Peterson, and Fritz–Schlunder models. The type of model fitting was used to evaluate the clay stability in terms of monolayer and multilayer adsorption. The experimental results revealed that the ILs’ adsorption strongly depends on the IL structures and concentrations. The results showed that in aqueous solutions, IL molecules have a strong interaction with swelling clay minerals, causing the intercalation between the interlayer of the clay minerals and ILs. XRD results revealed that the intercalation of ILs between the layers of clay is related to the enlargement in basal (d) spacing. The efficacy of the adsorption process was also demonstrated by the specific bands of the ILs on the infrared spectra. The relative amount of the IL adsorbed on the clay surface was in the order of 1A3MI-CN < 1B1MP-Br < TBP-MS < TEA-TFMS. Error metrics consisting of the coefficient of determination (R 2), mean square error (MSE), and mean absolute error (MAE) was employed as a criterion for a better fit of the adsorption model of ILs. Sips and Redlich–Peterson adsorption models show a reasonable fitting for all ILs in this study.

Investigation of the Effects of Functional Groups on the Inhibition Performances of Imidazolium-Based Bola-Form Ionic Liquids as Novel High-Performance Shale Inhibitors

“…And the peaks at 792 and 912 cm –1 should be recognized as the bending vibrations of quartz and Al–Al–OH in the crystalline layer, respectively. , For the IBFIL-treated samples, the appearance of new peaks (2919 and 2850 cm –1 ), which represent the C–H stretching vibrations, indicates that the IBFILs successfully insert into the interlayer or adsorbed at the clay surface . In addition, the peaks at 3617 and 3200–3500 cm –1 are assigned to O–H of the Na-Mt layer and hydrogen bonds in the interlayer, respectively. , For [C 6 (ABIM) 2 ]­Br 2 -treated Na-Mt sample, the peak intensity obviously reduces at 3617 cm –1 and hardly changes at 3200–3500 cm –1 , reflecting the generation of hydrogen bonds between the inhibitor and clay. Notably, the intensity of the peaks associated with the stretching vibrations of physisorbed water at 1640 and 3440 cm –1 is moderately reduced, which suggests that the adsorbed IBFILs can expel some water molecules in the interlayer. , …”

“…26 In addition, the peaks at 3617 and 3200−3500 cm −1 are assigned to O−H of the Na-Mt layer and hydrogen bonds in the interlayer, respectively. 53,54 For [C 6 (ABIM) 2 ]Br 2 -treated Na-Mt sample, the peak intensity obviously reduces at 3617 cm −1 and hardly changes at 3200−3500 cm −1 , reflecting the generation of hydrogen bonds between the inhibitor and clay. Notably, the intensity of the peaks associated with the stretching vibrations of physisorbed water at 1640 and 3440 cm −1 is moderately reduced, which suggests that the adsorbed IBFILs can expel some water molecules in the interlayer.…”

Effect of Alkylation Chain Length on Inhibiting Performance of Soluble Ionic Liquids in Water-Based Drilling Fluids

“…Comparably, the typically employed anion groups of ILs can range from hexafluorophosphate to tetrafluoroborate, octyl sulfate, nitrate, bromide, iodide, and chloride. ILs can be hydrophilic and hydrophobic depending on the structures of cations and anions. , In the past few decades, ILs have gained a lot of attention because of their remarkable physical and chemical properties, such as low vapor pressure, high thermal stability, specific solvating ability, compatibility with organic, inorganic, and polymeric materials, and so forth. − Due to their excellent properties, ILs have found many industrial applications, including chemical separation, metal extraction, dye adsorption, green solvents, nanocomposite preparation, etc. ,− Recently, ILs have been employed for many oil and gas applications, including enhanced oil recovery, CO 2 capture and sequestration, and extraction of heavy oil or bitumen. − In addition, numerous researchers − evaluated the inhibitive properties of ILs and demonstrated their great potential as effective shale inhibitors in WBDFs. In our previous work, the performance of the IL 1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium bromide (VeiBr) monomer and its corresponding homopolymers (PV) in inhibiting the swelling and dispersion of clays has been explored .…”

“… 23 , 26 − 28 Recently, ILs have been employed for many oil and gas applications, including enhanced oil recovery, CO 2 capture and sequestration, and extraction of heavy oil or bitumen. 29 − 31 In addition, numerous researchers 32 − 39 evaluated the inhibitive properties of ILs and demonstrated their great potential as effective shale inhibitors in WBDFs. In our previous work, the performance of the IL 1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium bromide (VeiBr) monomer and its corresponding homopolymers (PV) in inhibiting the swelling and dispersion of clays has been explored.…”

Ecofriendly Natural Surfactants in the Oil and Gas Industry: A Comprehensive Review

“…As the oil and gas industry faces increasing pressure to adopt environmentally friendly practices, the utilization of natural surfactants aligns with the broader global goals of reducing carbon footprints and minimizing ecological disruptions. , Furthermore, the development of novel extraction and purification techniques has facilitated the large-scale production of natural surfactants, making them commercially viable and economically competitive options for various applications within the oil and gas sector. − …”