Characterizing the pore-scale impacts of enhanced-solubilization solutions on organic-liquid morphology and fluid-fluid interfacial area with microtomography

Narter, Matt; Brusseau, Mark L.

doi:10.1016/j.hazmo.2025.100004

Characterizing the pore-scale impacts of enhanced-solubilization solutions on organic-liquid morphology and fluid-fluid interfacial area with microtomography

Journal Article · Wed Oct 08 00:00:00 EDT 2025 · Journal of Hazardous Materials: Organics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazmo.2025.100004· OSTI ID:3008939

Narter, Matt ^[1]; Brusseau, Mark L. ^[1]

Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)

Synchrotron X-ray microtomography was used to directly quantify the impact of enhanced-solubilization solutions on mobilization of a non-wetting fluid in a natural porous medium. Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (tween 80), hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPCD), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and ethanol were used as the solubilization reagents. Tetrachloroethene (PCE) was used as the entrapped organic immiscible liquid. Microtomography images were collected prior to and after successive floods with each reagent solution. The total trapping number was varied by more than three orders of magnitude by changing the velocity and viscosity of the aqueous phase as well as the interfacial tension between fluid phases. The results were compared to those obtained from equivalent experiments conducted with water flooding. Inspection of images indicated that mobilization caused a change in PCE morphology and distribution for all reagents with the exception of HPCD, for which a lower trapping number was determined compared to the other experiments. Mobilization of organic liquid was observed at total trapping numbers that were consistent with prior work. The enhanced-solubilization solutions had minimal impact on the configuration or magnitude of fluid-fluid interfacial area.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231; SC0020112

OSTI ID:: 3008939

Journal Information:: Journal of Hazardous Materials: Organics, Journal Name: Journal of Hazardous Materials: Organics Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 1; ISSN 3051-0597

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Mobilization
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Organic liquid

Characterizing the pore-scale impacts of enhanced-solubilization solutions on organic-liquid morphology and fluid-fluid interfacial area with microtomography

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