Xanthan gum short-chain modified TiO2 nanoparticles for the preparation of high-stability foam to effectively improve the efficiency of foam oil repulsion

Nanoparticles excel in foam stability enhancement. In this experiment, xanthan gum (XG) short links were branched on the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles, and the synthesis of novel nanomaterials was verified by analyzing the structure of the nanoparticles by FT-IR, XRD, and XPS, and investigating the dispersion of the nanoparticles by using SEM as well as capturing the cross-sectional images of XG-TiO2 by using TEM and performing elemental analyses. The foams prepared by using cationic surfactant Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and XG-TiO2 synergistically had excellent performance, and XG-TiO2 was able to effectively prevent the disproportionation reaction of the foams. By adding hydroxide and changing the air pressure, the half-life and foaming volume of the prepared foams were compared and analyzed, and the half-life of the foams was more than twice as much as that of the traditional materials, and the foam morphology of the foams with XG-TiO2 was smaller and more homogeneous. When XG-TiO2 foam was tested for core drive, the total crude oil recovery reached 81.2 %, which was 45.4 % higher than the water drive recovery. This experiment demonstrated the potential of XG-TiO2 nanoparticles in enhancing foam stability and foam drive application.