Supercritical CO2 Applications in Polymer Science and Enhanced Oil Recovery
Summary
Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) occupies a unique niche as a tunable solvent and transport medium, combining gas-like diffusivity with liquid-like density. In polymer science, scCO2 is exploited for particle formation, polymerisation processes and the dissolution or impregnation of polymers, facilitating greener synthesis routes and enabling precise control over microstructure and morphology. Its low critical temperature and pressure render it attractive for processing temperature-sensitive materials without residual solvents. In the realm of enhanced oil recovery (EOR), scCO2 is injected into reservoirs to improve oil sweep efficiency through mechanisms of viscosity alteration, miscibility with hydrocarbons and reservoir pressure maintenance. However, the inherently low viscosity and density of pure scCO2 can lead to poor mobility control, viscous fingering and limited proppant transport. To address these limitations, polymeric thickeners, surfactants and oligomeric additives have been developed to increase scCO2 viscosity, enhance oil displacement, reduce gas channeling and improve sand-carrying capacity. Advances in molecular design, simulation and field-scale modelling are converging to deliver more effective, eco-compatible fluids for both laboratory and industrial applications, underscoring the global significance of scCO2 in sustainable materials processing and resource recovery.
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Supercritical CO2 Applications in Polymer Science and Enhanced Oil Recovery publication trend
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Technical terms
Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2): Carbon dioxide above its critical temperature and pressure, exhibiting hybrid gas–liquid properties used as a solvent and transport medium.
Viscosity enhancement: Increase in fluid resistance to flow, often achieved by adding thickeners to scCO2 to improve mobility control and proppant transport.
Enhanced oil recovery (EOR): Techniques applied after primary and secondary recovery to maximise hydrocarbon extraction, including scCO2 injection for miscible flooding and mobility alteration.
Mobility control: Strategies to balance the flow characteristics of injected fluids and reservoir fluids, reducing fingering and improving sweep efficiency.
Proppant transport: The process of carrying solid particulates (sand or ceramics) into fractures by the injection fluid to keep fractures open for improved hydrocarbon flow.
References
- Carbon dioxide thickening: A review of technological aspects, advances and challenges for oilfield application. Fuel (2022).
- Supercritical carbon dioxide: a solvent like no other. Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry (2014).
- An Experiment and Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Synergistic Foaming between a Surfactant and CO2 and the Structure–Activity Effect. Energies (2024).
- CO2 Viscosification for Mobility Alteration in Improved Oil Recovery and CO2 Sequestration. Water (2023).
- Systematic Review of Solubility, Thickening Properties and Mechanisms of Thickener for Supercritical Carbon Dioxide. Nanomaterials (2024).
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