Nano emulsões aplicadas a recuperação avançada de petróleo

A exploração de petróleo está a cada dia em circunstâncias mais adversas, no que diz respeito à profundidade dos poços como também, em relação à fluidez do óleo. Os reservatórios de descobertas recentes não possuem energia própria para produzir ou os métodos convencionais não são eficientes para fazer com que esses reservatórios tenham uma vida útil elevada, devido a alterações das propriedades físico-químicas, como por exemplo a viscosidade, que torna o deslocamento do óleo pelos poros do reservatório até a superfície cada vez mais complexo. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo estudar a preparação, caracterização e a utilização de nanoemulsões obtidas a partir de sistemas microemulsionados, com e sem a presença de polímero. Esses sistemas foram aplicados como método químico de recuperação de petróleo, com o intuito de obter maior eficiência de volume de óleo deslocado. O interesse por esse tipo de sistema existe devido a sua baixa tensão superficial, o pequeno tamanho de gotícula e, principalmente, pelo baixo percentual de matéria ativa presente em sua composição. Os ensaios realizados para caracterizar esses sistemas foram: aspecto físico, medidas de tamanho de gotícula, índice de polidispersão, tensão superficial, pH e condutividade. Ensaios de reologia e de adsorção dos sistemas foram realizados com o objetivo de avaliar sua influencia na recuperação de petróleo. Os ensaios de recuperação foram realizados em um equipamento que simula as condições de um reservatório de petróleo, utilizando plugs de rocha arenito Botucatu. Esses plugs foram saturados com salmoura (KCl 2%) e com petróleo proveniente da Bacia Potiguar do campo de Ubarana. Após essas etapas foi realizada a recuperação convencional utilizando a salmoura e, por último, foi injetada, a nanoemulsão, como método de recuperação avançada. Os sistemas obtidos variaram de 0% à 0,4% de polímero. Os ensaios de tamanhos de partícula obtiveram como resultado uma variação de 9,22 a 14,8 nm, caracterizando que as nanoemulsões estão dentro da faixa de tamanho inerente a esse tipo de sistema. Para ensaios de tensão superficial os valores foram na faixa de 33,6 a 39,7 dynas/cm, valores semelhantes à microemulsões e bem abaixo da tensão superficial da água. Os resultados obtidos para os valores de pH e condutividade se mantiveram estáveis ao longo do tempo de armazenamento, essa avaliação indica estabilidade das nanoemulsões estudadas. O teste de recuperação avançada utilizando nanoemulsão com baixo percentual de matéria ativa obteve como resultado de eficiência de deslocamento 39,4%. Porém esse valor foi crescente, de acordo com o aumento do percentual de polímero na nanomeulsão. Os resultados de eficiência de deslocamento de petróleo estão diretamente relacionados com o aumento da viscosidade das nanoemulsões. A nanoemulsão V (0,4% polímero) é o sistema mais viscoso dentre os analisados, e obteve o maior percentual de óleo deslocado (76,7%), resultando na maior eficiência de deslocamento total (90%). Esse estudo mostrou o potencial de sistemas nanoemulsionados, com e sem polímeros, na recuperação avançada de petróleo. Eles apresentam algumas vantagens com relação a outros métodos de recuperação avançada, como: o baixo percentual de matéria ativa, baixo índice de adsorção do polímero, dissolvido em nanoemulsão, na rocha e alta eficiência de recuperação

Efeitos da interação dipolar na nucleação de vórtices em nano-cilindros magnéticos

The effect of confinement on the magnetic structure of vortices of dipolar coupled ferromagnetic nanoelements is an issue of current interest, not only for academic reasons, but also for the potential impact in a number of promising applications. Most applications, such as nano-oscillators for wireless data transmission, benefit from the possibility of tailoring the vortex core magnetic pattern. We report a theoretical study of vortex nucleation in pairs of coaxial iron and Permalloy cylinders, with diameters ranging from 21nm to 150nm, and 12nm and 21nm thicknesses, separated by a non-magnetic layer. 12nm thick iron and Permalloy isolated (single) cylinders do not hold a vortex, and 21nm isolated cylinders hold a vortex. Our results indicate that one may tailor the magnetic structure of the vortices, and the relative chirality, by selecting the thickness of the non-magnetic spacer and the values of the cylinders diameters and thicknesses. Also, the dipolar interaction may induce vortex formation in pairs of 12nm thick nanocylinders and inhibit the formation of vortices in pairs of 21nm thick nanocylinders. These new phases are formed according to the value of the distance between the cylinderes. Furthermore, we show that the preparation route may control relative chirality and polarity of the vortex pair. For instance: by saturating a pair of Fe 81nm diameter, 21nm thickness cylinders, along the crystalline anisotropy direction, a pair of 36nm core diameter vortices, with same chirality and polarity is prepared. By saturating along the perpendicular direction, one prepares a 30nm diameter core vortex pair, with opposite chirality and opposite polarity. We also present a theoretical discussion of the impact of vortices on the thermal hysteresis of a pair of interface biased elliptical iron nanoelements, separated by an ultrathin nonmagnetic insulating layer. We have found that iron nanoelements exchange coupled to a noncompensated NiO substrate, display thermal hysteresis at room temperature, well below the iron Curie temperature. The thermal hysteresis consists in different sequences of magnetic states in the heating and cooling branches of a thermal loop, and originates in the thermal reduction of the interface field, and on the rearrangements of the magnetic structure at high temperatures, 5 produce by the strong dipolar coupling. The width of the thermal hysteresis varies from 500 K to 100 K for lateral dimensions of 125 nm x 65 nm and 145 nm x 65 nm. We focus on the thermal effects on two particular states: the antiparallel state, which has, at low temperatures, the interface biased nanoelement with the magnetization aligned with the interface field and the second nanoelement aligned opposite to the interface field; and in the parallel state, which has both nanoelements with the magnetization aligned with the interface field at low temperatures. We show that the dipolar interaction leads to enhanced thermal stability of the antiparallel state, and reduces the thermal stability of the parallel state. These states are the key phases in the application of pairs of ferromagnetic nanoelements, separated by a thin insulating layer, for tunneling magnetic memory cells. We have found that for a pair of 125nm x 65nm nanoelements, separated by 1.1nm, and low temperature interface field strength of 5.88kOe, the low temperature state (T = 100K) consists of a pair of nearly parallel buckle-states. This low temperature phase is kept with minor changes up to T= 249 K when the magnetization is reduced to 50% of the low temperature value due to nucleation of a vortex centered around the middle of the free surface nanoelement. By further increasing the temperature, there is another small change in the magnetization due to vortex motion. Apart from minor changes in the vortex position, the high temperature vortex state remains stable, in the cooling branch, down to low temperatures. We note that wide loop thermal hysteresis may pose limits on the design of tunneling magnetic memory cells

Desenvolvimento de bionanocompósitos: nano e microcristais de celulose com poli (álcool vinílico) e poli (ácido lático)

This work has the main objective to obtain nano and microcrystals of cellulose, extracted from the pineapple leaf fibres (PALF), as reinforcement for the manufacture of biocomposite films with polymeric matrices of Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and Poly(lactic acid) (PLA). The polymer matrices and the nano and microcrystals of cellulose were characterised by means of TGA, FTIR and DSC. The analysis was performed on the pineapple leaves to identify the macro and micronutrients. The fibers of the leaves of the pineapple were extracted in a desfibradeira mechanical. The PALF extracted were washed to remove washable impurities and subsequently treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) in the removal of impurities, such as fat, grease, pectates, pectin and lignin. The processed PALF fibers were hydrolysed in sulfuric acid (H2SO4) at a concentration of 13.5 %, to obtain nano and microcrystals of cellulose. In the manufacture of biocomposite films, concentrations of cellulose, 0 %, 1 %, 3 %, 6 %, 9% and 12% were used as reinforcement to the matrices of PVA and PLA. The PVA was dissolved in distilled water at 80 ± 5 oC and the PLA was dissolved in dichloromethane at room temperature. The manufacture of biocompósitos in the form of films was carried out by "casting". Tests were carried out to study the water absorption by the films and mechanical test of resistance to traction according to ASTM D638-10 with a velocity of 50 mm/min.. Chi-square statistical test was used to check for the existence of significant differences in the level of 0.05: the lengths of the PALF, lengths of the nano and microcrystals of cellulose and the procedures used for the filtration using filter syringe of 0.2 μm or filtration and centrifugation. The hydrophilicity of biocompósitos was analysed by measuring the contact angle and the thickness of biocompósitos were compared as well as the results of tests of traction. Statistical T test - Student was also applied with the significance level (0.05). In biodegradation, Sturm test of standard D5209 was used. Nano and microcrystals of cellulose with lengths ranging from 7.33 nm to 186.17 nm were found. The PVA films showed average thicknesses of 0.153 μm and PLA 0.210 μm. There is a strong linear correlation directly proportional between the traction of the films of PVA and the concentration of cellulose in the films (composite) (0,7336), while the thickness of the film was correlated in 0.1404. Nano and microcrystals of cellulose and thickness together, correlated to 0.8740. While the correlation between the cellulose content and tensile strength was weak and inversely proportional (- 0,0057) and thickness in -0.2602, totaling -0,2659 in PLA films. This can be attributed to the nano and microcrystals of cellulose not fully adsorbed to the PLA matrix. In the comparison of the results of the traction of the two polymer matrices, the nano and microcrystals have helped in reducing the traction of the films (composite) of PLA. There was still the degradation of the film of PVA, within a period of 20 days, which was not seen in the PLA film, on the other hand, the observations made in the literature, the average time to start the degradation is above 60 days. What can be said that the films are biodegradable composites, with hydrophilicity and the nano and microcrystals of cellulose, contribute positively in the improvement of the results of polymer matrices used.