Experimental investigation on the effects of deep eutectic solvents (DES) on the wettability of sandstone samples

Recently, deep eutectic solvents (DES) have received great attention in assisting water flooding and surfactant flooding to improve oil recovery because they can reduce the interfacial tension (IFT) between oil and water, inhibit surfactant adsorption, and change the wettability of rock. However, the effects of DES on the wettability of rock surface have not been thoroughly investigated in the reported studies. In this study, the effects of various DES samples on the wettability of sandstone samples are investigated using the Amott wettability measurement method. Three DES samples and several DES solutions and DES-surfactant solutions are firstly synthesized. Then, the wettability of the sandstone samples is measured using pure saline water, DES solutions, and DES-surfactant solutions, respectively. The effects of the DES samples on the wettability of the sandstone samples are investigated by comparing the measured wettability parameters, including oil displacement ratio (I_o), water displacement ratio (I_w), and wettability index (I_A). The Berea rock sample used in this study is weakly hydrophilic with I_o, I_w, and I_A of 0.318, 0.032, and 0.286, respectively. Being processed by the prepared DES samples, the wettability of the Berea sandstone samples is altered to hydrophilic (0.7 > I_A > 0.3) by increasing I_w but lowering I_o. Similarly, DES-surfactant solutions can also modify the wettability of the Berea sandstone samples from weakly hydrophilic to hydrophilic. However, some DES-surfactant solutions can not only increase I_w but also increase I_o, suggesting that the lipophilicity of those sandstone samples will be improved by the DES-surfactant solutions. In addition, micromodel flooding tests confirm the promising performance of a DES-surfactant solution in improving oil recovery and altering wettability. Moreover, the possible mechanisms of DES and DES-surfactant solutions in altering the wettability of the Berea sandstone samples are proposed. DES samples may improve the hydrophilicity by forming hydrogen bonds between rock surface and water molecules. For DES-surfactant solutions, surfactant micelles can capture oil molecules to improve the lipophilicity of those sandstone samples.