Experimental measurement and theoretical estimation of diffusion coefficients for multi-components fluid mixtures

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Diffusion is the molecular transport of mass in fluid mixtures, which occurs in the presence of a concentration gradient and tends to eliminate concentration variations. When the transport of mass is caused by a thermal gradient, it is known as thermodiffusion or the Soret effect. There are many important processes in nature and through technology where both these phenomena play a very crucial role, viz. thermohaline convection in oceans, volcanic lava, crystal growth processes, solidification of alloys, isotope separation, and the characterization and separation of polymers. Notably, due to the presence of the planet’s geothermal gradient, the composition of hydrocarbon (oil) reservoirs is significantly affected by both diffusion and the Soret effect. Currently, there is no reliable theoretical approach to predict the effects of these factors on hydrocarbon reserves, which is significantly hampering the development of optimal oil recovery strategies by oil companies. By understanding and predicting both diffusion and the Soret effect in the component distribution of oil reservoirs, these companies can better manage the optimal exploitation of resources to implement efficient oil recovery techniques. This proposal will focus on the experimental measurement and theoretical estimation of the diffusion and thermodiffusion coefficients for ternary liquid mixtures at different temperatures and concentrations. These experimental results will be compared with the theoretical approach that is currently being developed by the applicant to study the thermodiffusion process in multi-component liquid mixtures.