MATRIX AND CEMENT EFFECTS ON RESIDUAL OIL SATURATION IN SANDSTONE FORMATIONS: A NEURAL NETWORK APPROACH

Abstract

Residual oil in sandstone is affected by mineral composition, clay matrix and cementing material. Matrix minerals affect the affinity of a fluid to spread on a rock surface significantly and in turn controls the fluid distribution within the pore spaces. At the interface between the rock surface and the contacting fluid, electrical charges are in the origin of the extent of phase wetness. Available framework grains, a dominant component of rock matrix, affect porosity and, hence, amounts of rock preferential wetness. Cement, clay matrix and quartz overgrowth, which make up for the rest of the grain population in a rock, influence wetness and, therefore, amounts of residual oil. In this paper, spectro-electromicroscopy (SEM) point-count technique in conjunction with neural network analysis were used to determine the effect of certains rock parameters on the amounts of residual oil following waterflooding operations. Using artifcial neural network, the intent was then to predict the extent of residual oil in sandstone rocks given limited information about rock matrix, cementing material and primary porosity.     

NARP-HPLC/MS and silver cationization fingerprinting of triacylglycerols in wild and cultivar Tunisian peanut kernels

A simple strategy to identify triacylglycerols (TAGs) in wild and cultivar peanuts was performed using on line coupling of non-aqueous reversed phase chromatography-electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry (NARP-LC-ESI–MS) with silver nitrate (AgNO₃) as a post-column additive. The combination of the structural information given by MS with chromatographic retention laws led to the determination of the structure of TAGs in wild and cultivar peanut oil. In addition, by using the MS⁵ method, the regio-specificity of the TAGs was determined. It was also demonstrated that in Tunisian peanut oil, the saturates have a preference for the sn-1/sn-3 position for the arachidonic and behenic acids. In the wild variety fatty acids with odd numbers of carbons were found and more TAGs were identified in comparison to the cultivar peanut oil.     

The structure and corrosion barrier performance of nanocrystalline zirconia electrodeposited coating

Zirconia (ZrO₂) with the thickness of about 1.5 μm were prepared onto mechanically polished and electrochemically prepared surfaces of 316L stainless steel by direct and pulse current electrodeposition followed by annealing. The ZrO₂ coatings were nanocrystalline with a tetragonal crystallographic structure. The coatings produced by direct current showed a heterogeneous structure in “cracked-mud” appearance. Pulse current produced a more uniform and dense coating with a strong mechanical barrier property. It also revealed a passive behavior on the Tafel polarization plot. The ZrO₂ coatings produced on electrochemically prepared surfaces showed a very small passive region on Tafel polarization curves.     

The dissolution of activated titanium slag in dilute sulfuric acid

Finely ground titanium slag (–400 mesh) dissolves slowly in dilute H₂SO₄ (2–10 mol/L) in the temperature range 70–110°C, but attrition ground slag dissolves much faster under similar conditions. The process is strongly dependent on the speed of agitation in the region 345–1035 rpm, and has an activation energy of 28 kJ/mole TiO₂, thus suggesting that the dissolution is controlled by diffusion through the boundary layer.     

Identification of the new 18-hexacosenoic acid in the spongeThalysias juniperina

The phospholipid fatty acids from the spongeSpheciospongia cuspidifera were studied revealing the presence of the rare 10-octadecenoic acid (10−18∶1) and a new 2-methoxyhexadecenoic acid. The phospholipid fatty acids fromThalysias juniperina were also studied revealing the presence of the hitherto unreported 18-hexacosenoic acid (18−26∶1). These results tend to indicate that the biosynthetic pathway from 10−18∶1 to 18−26∶1 may be operative in nature. The phospholipid mixture from the sponges was also analyzed by³¹P-NMR and shown to mainly consist of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylglycerol. Phosphatidylcholine was not found in the sponges analyzed in this work.     

Optimization of a dual cycle cogeneration system based on a new exergetic performance criterion

An ecological performance analysis for an irreversible dual-cycle cogeneration system has been performed. The objective function is called as the exergetic-performance coefficient (EPC) and defined as the ratio of total exergy output to the loss rate of availability. The general and optimal performances of the irreversible dual-cycle cogeneration system, having a finite-rate of heat transfer, heat leak and internal irreversibilities based on the EPC objective function have been investigated. Comparisons with respect to the optimal total-exergy output are also provided in order to establish the utility of the new exergetic-performance coefficient. The analyzed results of the dual-cycle cogeneration system considered, working at maximum EPC conditions, have a significant advantage in terms of entropy-generation rate and can be used for the selection of optimal design parameters.     

Reaction of chrysotile asbestos with triphenylmethane dyes

Triphenylmethane dyes react at ambient conditions with chrysotile asbestos to form homogeneously coloured fibres. Formation of the chelates on the fibre varies: for Basic Fuchsin, Malachite Green and Methyl Blue equilibrium is reached in 1 h, the concentration on the fibre is 1% to 2.4%, and increases slightly on boiling. For Brilliant Blue R, Crystal Violet, and Methyl Violet equilibrium is reached after 16 to 24 h, the concentration on the fibre is 8% to 10%, and increases greatly on boiling reaching 10% to 31%. No precipitates were observed on the coloured fibre under the scanning electron microscope indicating a chelate formation. This was also supported by X-ray diffraction and infrared analysis.     

Plasma Spray Deposition Enhancement of Titanium Nitride Layer Using Nitrogen-Contained Plasma Irradiation of Titanium Substrate as a Pre-spraying Method

Reactive plasma spray of TiN ceramic coating attracts much attention over the years because of its ability to deposit thick layers on various metal surfaces. However, some mechanical properties of the coating such as its hardness should be improved. In this study, initially a thin layer of titanium nitride was prepared on a titanium substrate during irradiation of titanium substrate by a thermal DC nitrogen-contained plasma jet. Then, during reactive plasma spraying, Ti particles were injected into plasma jet, converted to titanium nitride and huddled on to the substrate. This new hybrid method (primary plasma irradiation and post-reactive plasma spraying) for deposition of TiN coatings would combine the advantages of both plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and reactive plasma spraying methods in part. It resulted in a thick and hard layer of titanium nitride film. Sample produced by this method was analyzed with x-ray diffraction confirming titanium nitride production. Vickers hardness was measured using optical microscopy which was around 1319 H_v300g. To study the cross section of the layer, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Bioactivity Evaluation of Amorphous and Crystallized 58S Bioglass Nanopowders

The aim of this work was synthesis and characterization of amorphous and crystallized 58S nanopowders produced via sol‐gel method. According to the thermal analysis, the nanopowders were heat‐treated at 600°C and 1100°C. X‐ray diffraction results revealed that the phases of Wollastonite and tricalcium phosphate were formed at 1100°C. The in vitro tests showed that hydroxyl carbonate apatite was precipitated on both crystallized and amorphous nanopowders, while amorphous nanopowder showed a higher bioactivity than that of crystallized nanopowder. In contrast, mechanical properties of crystallized specimen were higher than those of amorphous specimen.     

Concentration and distribution of heavy metals in urban airborne particulate matter in Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Heavy metal concentrations were measured in airborne dust collected at three sites with different traffic densities from August 2001 to July 2002 in the Frankfurt am Main area. Bulk samples of particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter of <22 microm were collected on cellulose nitrate filters using air filtration devices. Fractionated samples of PM with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter of <10 microm were collected using an eight-stage Andersen impactor. Pb, Cd, Mn, Ni, Zn, V, As, Sb, Cu, Cr, Co, and Ce were determined by inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry, Pt and Rh were determined by adsorptive voltammetry, and Pd was determined by total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis. The results show that the highest airborne heavy metal concentrations occurred at the main street with a large volume of traffic. With the exception of Co, V, Ce, and Mn, the heavy metals had an elevated enrichment factor compared to their concentrations in the continental crust. The main street site was especially contaminated with Sb, Zn, Cu, V, and Ni. Motor vehicles are the likely source of emissions. With the exception of Cr, Cu, and Zn, most of the airborne heavy metal concentrations determined for impactor samples deviate slightly from the results for total airborne dust. Heavy metal particle size distributions can be divided into three groups. For metals such as As, Cd, Pb, and V, the main fraction can be found in fine particles with a diameter of <2.1 microm, whereas Ce, Cr, Co, and Ni occur mainly in coarse particles with a diameter of >2.1 microm. Cu, Mn, Sb, Zn, Pt, Pd, and Rh occur in high concentrations in the medium range of the impactor stages (particle diameters of 1.1-4.7 microm). Metal concentrations in fine dust particles are needed to assess the human health risks of their inhalation.