Synergistic Effect of Opuntia ficus-indica Cladode mucilage on Physicochemical and Rheological properties of HPAM polymer solutions for EOR Application

This study focuses on the synthesis of a series of mixtures of a partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM), noted (H), and a cladode Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage (M). The main objective is to minimize the exclusive dependence of HPAM in the field of tertiary oil recovery, specifically in the process known as EOR. This study showed that a combination of 20% mucilage and 80% HPAM, for a total concentration of 800 ppm in solution, gives rheological performance equivalent to a solution of HPAM alone at 6000 ppm. The resulting mixture which is characterized by viscoelastic liquid behavior, exhibits remarkable flow and elasticity properties. This characteristic is considered favorable for extracting trapped oils from pores under effect of the normal stress. Spectral analysis revealed the presence of silica groups in the mixture, elements widely used in researchers in association with HPAM. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated that mucilage decomposition only occurs at temperatures above 200 degrees C. As the main conclusion, all the physicochemical and rheological data argue in favor of the integration of mucilage in HPAM in order to minimize its concentration in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) applications.