Chemical control of quartz suspensions aggregative stability

ABSTRACT

This article studies the influence of zeta potential on the fluidization of quartz suspensions and the possibility of its chemical control by changing the aggregative stability of the system using a reagent whose main component is the reaction product of amines and phosphoric esters. It is shown that aggregation of quartz, when treated by the specified chemical system, takes place due to an electrokinetic potential decrease resulting from reduction in the thickness of the diffuse portion of the electrical double layer around the quartz particles. It was found that chemical treatment of the quartz suspension contributes to a significant increase in fluidization onset velocity and fluid filtration coefficient. The article also proposed a correction to the Richardson–Zaki equation to take into account the aggregation of quartz particles. In order to explain the filtration properties of treated sand, a model was developed that takes into account the influence of aggregation on the porosity of the porous medium. The results presented here can be of use when developing oil fields composed of poorly consolidated sandstones.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Aggregation
• double electrical layer
• filtration coefficient
• fluidization
• quartz sand
• zeta potential

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank Dr. Harry Frampton for valuable suggestions to improve the quality of the article.