Microfluidic investigation of oil displacement efficiency using nanoemulsions

This paper presents the results of a microfluidic study of the process of oil displacement from a model porous medium by a nanoemulsion. Nanoemulsions were prepared on the basis of distilled water and diesel fuel with a concentration of 1 wt.%. The mass concentration of the emulsifier varied from 0.05 to 0.4%. A technique for preparing stable emulsions based on the method of large droplet crushing and ultrasonic treatment was developed. To study the mechanisms of the effect of emulsions, their wettability and interfacial tension characteristics were studied. As a result of the microfluidic experiments, it was found that nanoemulsions with a low content of the hydrocarbon phase make it possible to increase the oil displacement coefficient compared to water from 32 to 57%. In this regard, further systematic study of their properties seems promising for the development of new methods for enhancing oil recovery.