Tel: 650-961-3510
Research Interests:
·
Wettability and fluid flow in porous media: Alteration of rock wettability from liquid-wetting to neutral wetting
by chemical treatment with fluoro-polymeric
surfactants, improving liquid mobility and reducing water and condensate
blocking around a well, resulting in increase of gas production in gas-condensate
reservoir.
·
Surface wetting and cleansing: Apply the technological concept of nanoparticle structuring in the wedge film confinement to
the surface wetting and cleansing using complex fluids consisting of
surfactants/ micelles/ nanoparticles/ macromolecules.
·
Colloidal assembly and ordering: Apply the technology of colloidal
particle ordering in confined geometries (liquid film, interface or porous
slit) in the development of nano-materials with
desired structural properties and in the stabilization of emulsions and foams.
·
Particle interaction and structure: Elucidate the effect of collective
interactions on particle structuring in the multi-particle system through a 2D
hard-sphere and a 2D charge-sphere system of granular material.
·
Emulsion polymerization: Develop
the optimized surfactant formulation for latex synthesis in emulsion
polymerization to achieve the desired particle size, concentration and
stability. Verify the mixed micelle model and micellar
nucleation mechanism.
·
Oral mucosal drug delivery system: Develop
OMDDS product, a novel non-invasive drug delivery system for those drugs which
are invalid by the peroral administration due to
their extensive first-pass hepato-gastrointestinal
metabolism.
·
Aromatherapy: Develop new applications
and formulations of complex essential oils used in the area of pharmaceutics
and toiletries, based on the principle of synergy.
·
Specialty chemicals: Technical
development of specialty chemicals used in plastic, rubber, coating, paper, pharmaceutic and cosmetic industries.
Education:
Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Illinois
Institute of Technology (2006)
M.S. in Chemical Engineering,
B.S. in Chemical Engineering,
Research Activities at RERI:
Wettability alteration of
porous media from water/oil wetting to neutral wetting (intermediate gas
wetting) by chemical treatment of fluoro-polymeric
surfactants. An increase in liquid
mobility is achieved, preventing the accumulation and blocking of water or
condensate in gas-condensate reservoirs, resulting in increased gas well
deliverability and gas production. Elucidate the effect of chemical species,
concentration, treatment process, rock type, and salinity on wettability
alteration.
Selected Recent Publications:
1. Wu, S., and
Firoozabadi, A. “Effect of Salinity on Wettability Alteration of Porous
Media from Liquid Wetting to Intermediate Gas Wetting,” SPE Reservoir
Evaluation & Engineering (in review). Abstract
2. Wu, S., and
Firoozabadi, A. “Permanent Alteration of Porous Media Wettability from
Liquid Wetting to Intermediate Gas Wetting,” Transport in Porous Media (in review). Abstract
3. Wu, S., Firoozabadi, A.,
4.
5. Wu, S., Nikolov, A., and Wasan, D.,
“Role of collective interactions in self-assembly of charged particles at
liquid interfaces”, Can. J. Chem. Eng., 85, 562-569 (2007). Full Text
6.
7.
8. Chern, C.-S., Lin, S.-Y., Chen, L.-J., and Wu, S.-C.,
“Emulsion polymerization of styrene stabilized by mixed anionic and
nonionic surfactants” Polymer, 38, 1977-1984 (1997). Full Text
9. Chen, L.-J., Lin, S.-Y., and Chern,
C.-S., Wu, S.-C., “Critical micelle concentration of mixed
surfactant SDS/NP(EO)40 and its role in
emulsion polymerization” Colloids and Surfaces, A: Physicochemical
and Engineering Aspects, 122, 161-168 (1997).
Full
Text