The Stability of CO2 Enhanced Foam In The Presence Of Crude Oil

Subject Areas : Journal of Nano Chemistry and Electrochemistry

Fatemeh Boroomandi ¹ , Amin Azdarpour ^{2 *}

1 - Department of Chemical Engineering, Marv. C., Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran
2 -

Received: 2025-10-08

Keywords: Polymer, Foam, Oil recovery factor, Viscosity. ,

Abstract :

Polymer Enhanced Foam (PEF) is an effective technique used to improve foam stability and performance within porous media. Several parameters influence the efficiency of PEF, including polymer type, concentration, and molecular weight (MW), as well as surfactant type and concentration, salinity, pH, and the presence of crude oil. In this research, the behavior of PEF was evaluated using polyacrylamide polymers of both low and high molecular weights at different concentrations. The stability of CO₂ foams enhanced with polymers was also assessed in the presence of paraffin oil, which served as a model for crude oil, with both polymer types incorporated into the foam. The results indicated that high–molecular-weight polyacrylamide produced more stable foams compared to the low–molecular-weight variant. Additionally, foam stability improved as polymer concentration increased, demonstrating that higher polymer concentrations contribute to greater foam resilience. Molecular weight was also found to influence the viscosity of the polymer solution—high–molecular-weight polymers exhibited higher viscosities at a given concentration than low–molecular-weight ones. The introduction of crude oil into the system negatively affected foam stability for both polymer types, leading to a noticeable decline in performance. Overall, polymer-enhanced foams performed significantly better in the absence of oil than in its presence.

 

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