Papers by Keyword: SiO₂ Nano-Powder

Abstract: SiO2 nano-powder is a new type of augmented injection agent, has the ability of stronger hydrophobicity and lipophilicity, and can be adsorbed on the rock surface so that it changes the rock wettability. It can expand the pore radius effectively, reduce the flow resistance of injected water in the pores, enhance water permeability, reduce injection pressure and augment injection rate. Using artificial cores which simulated geologic conditions of a certain factory of Daqing oilfield, decompression and augmented injection experiments of SiO2 nano-powder were performed after waterflooding, best injection volume of SiO2 nano-powder under the low-permeability condition was selected. It has shown that SiO2 nano-powder inverted the rock wettability from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity. Oil recovery was further enhanced after waterflooding. With the injection pore volume increasing, the recovery and decompression rate of SiO2 nano-powder displacement increased gradually. The best injected pore volume and injection concentration is respectively 0.6PV and 0.5%, the corresponding value of EOR is 6.84% and decompression rate is 52.78%. According to the field tests, it is shown that, in the low-permeability oilfield, the augmented injection technology of SiO2 nano-powder could enhance water injectivity of injection wells and reduce injection pressure. Consequently, it is an effective method to resolve injection problems for the low-permeability oilfield.

Abstract: In this work, we report the sol-gel alkoxide route preparation of nanostructured SiO2 and TiO2 powders as well as TiO2-SiO2 thin films obtained by dip-coating. Thermal analysis, morphology and structure were characterized for powders and correlation between preparation method and optical properties of binary materials (SiO2-TiO2) for thin films was approached. Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been used for the physical characterization of the films.

Abstract: Wear is the primary cause of the failure of joint replacement prostheses. In this paper, the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) as an artificial joint acetabular material was filled with nano-powder of SiO2 of various mass fractions. The effect of SiO2 mass fraction on the tensile strength, tensile modulus, wetting property and tribological properties of the SiO2-UHMWPE composites were investigated when sliding against Ti-6Al-4V under lubrication of physiological saline water. The morphologies of the worn surfaces of composites were observed with optical microscope. As a result, the tensile strength, tensile modulus, wettability and wear resistance of the composites were all improved by filling with SiO2, and the composites had largely decreased friction coefficients under lubrication of physiological saline water compared with the unfilled UHMWPE. This was attributed to the reinforcing function of the nano-powder of SiO2 in the composites and the lubricating action of the water boundary film. The wear of pure UHMWPE was dominated by plowing, plastic deformation, while the SiO2-UHMWPE was characterized the mild fatigue wear.