Foam drainage agent with enhanced foam stability through modified Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles

A nanofoam drainage agent was developed to address the challenges of inadequate foam stability and foaming efficiency in the gas recovery process of foam drainage. The formulation of the primary foam drainage agent was obtained by screening and combining conventional anionic and amphoteric surfactants. Experimental results revealed a synergistic interaction between α-olefin sulfonate (AOS) and lauramidopropyl betaine (LAB-35). Specifically, when a mixture of 0.4 wt.% AOS and 0.1 wt.% LAB-35 was used, the surface tension of the primary foam drainage agent was measured to be 23.32 mN/m. Furthermore, modification of Fe3O4 nanoparticles with the silane coupling agent γ-(methacryloxy)propyl trimethoxysilane (KH-570) was performed to improve the dispersibility in aqueous solutions and enhance foam stability. The results of infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and contact angle measurements revealed the effective bonding of KH-570 to the surface of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Additionally, the particle size distribution in the aqueous solution showed the excellent dispersion of the modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Through the incorporation of the modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles into the primary foam drainage agent, a nanofoam drainage agent with a half-life of 989 ± 6.5 s was developed. Microscopic observations of foam coarsening behavior revealed the mechanism behind foam stability. Performance testing of the foam drainage agent demonstrated the agent's outstanding resistance against salinity, temperature, and oil and its remarkable liquid-carrying capacity.