Enhancing Co2 adsorption in sandstone formation using fly ash nanoparticles: A geo-sequestration approach
Ahmed Abdulla Elryes, Berihun Mamo Negash, Nur Asyraf Md Akhir, Faizan Ali, Rubaya Tasnin Mim
Abstract. A primary environmental concern making global warming worse is the continuous release of CO2 into the atmosphere. One feasible approach to this issue is the geo-sequestration of CO2 involving CO2 adsorption and sequestration in saline aquifer formations. This study explores the possibility of improving CO2 adsorption in sandstone formations by using fly ash nanoparticles, a by-product. Pre- and post-nano-treated Berea sandstone samples are tested for CO2 adsorption at pressures ranging from 0.1 to 10 MPa, temperature of 40°C, and salinity of 10 wt% NaCl. High-pressure-temperature volumetric CO2 adsorption equipment was used to quantify CO2 adsorption under reservoir conditions. The findings reveal that Xanthan Gum (XG) polymer concentration of 0.04 wt% stabilized and well-suspended the fly ash nanofluid, exhibiting a zeta potential below -32.2 mV. The findings revealed that the total CO2 adsorption was 45.07 mmol/g for the nano-treated sample and 41.56 mmol/g for the untreated sample. Additionally, the fly ash nano-treated sample demonstrated superior CO2 adsorption across all pressure points. Specifically, when CO2 reached a supercritical state over 7.38 MPa, the nano-treated sample showed a maximum CO2 adsorption of 39.17 mmol/g, while untreated samples reached 36.40 mmol/g. Adsorption isotherm analysis revealed that the Toth model provided the best fit for the experimental data, with an R2 value of 0.9708, indicating heterogeneous and multilayer adsorption behavior. The isotherm analysis suggests that multilayer adsorption, driven by van der Waals forces, was predominant due to the energy favorability of forming multiple adsorption layers rather than a monolayer. The study outcome suggests the feasibility of fly ash nanoparticles as a promising nanofluid to improve CO2 adsorption in CO2 geo-sequestration projects.
Keywords
CO2 Adsorption, Fly Ash Nanoparticles, Nanofluid Technology, Sandstone Formation, Carbon Geo-Sequestration
Published online 4/25/2025, 7 pages
Copyright © 2025 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Ahmed Abdulla Elryes, Berihun Mamo Negash, Nur Asyraf Md Akhir, Faizan Ali, Rubaya Tasnin Mim, Enhancing Co2 adsorption in sandstone formation using fly ash nanoparticles: A geo-sequestration approach, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 53, pp 67-73, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903575-5
The article was published as article 5 of the book Decarbonization Technology
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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