Molecular Simulation Models of Carbon Dioxide Intercalation in Hydrated Sodium Montmorillonite

Download or read book Molecular Simulation Models of Carbon Dioxide Intercalation in Hydrated Sodium Montmorillonite written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this study, classical molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory (DFT)-based molecular dynamics are used to elucidate the process of CO2 intercalation into hydrated Na-montmorillonite at P-T conditions relevant to geological formations suitable for CO2 storage. Of particular interest are the structural and transport properties of interlayer species after CO2 intercalation. The conducted simulations allowed the research team to quantify expansion/contraction of smectite as a function of CO2 and H2O compositions. The resulting swelling curves can be used to gauge the amount of stored CO2, compare it to the experiment, and estimate changes in geomechanical properties of the storage formation. The obtained results showed that the infrared signal of the asymmetric stretch vibration of CO2 molecule is extremely sensitive to the solvent environment. The extent of the frequency shift relative to the gas-phase value can be used to probe hydration level in the interlayer with intercalated CO2. Interaction of supercritical CO2 with brine in deep geological formations promotes an increase of hydrophobicity of clay surfaces. As a result of wettability alteration, estimated diffusion constants of CO2 and H2O increase with the increased CO2 load; this can contribute to faster migration of CO2 throughout the formation.