Coupled mass transfer and reaction in water of an oil soluble chemical: A CT scan study

Chemical compounds of the family of alkoxysilanes, such as tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS), are soluble in oil but can be dissolved in water where they undergo a hydrolysis and a condensation reaction to form a stable silica gel. We have investigated in detail the coupled mass transfer–reaction process that takes place when oil with dissolved TMOS is brought in contact with water in a well-defined geometry. The main physical parameters (initial TMOS concentration in the oil phase, initial water to oil volume ratio, and water pH and salinity) were varied during the experiment. X-ray CT was used to visualize and quantify concentration changes in the oil and the water phases. We found that varying the initial concentration does not affect mass transfer rates out of the oil phase, but increasing initial concentrations do speed up gelation. The water to oil volume ratio has a larger impact on mass transfer, with a transfer rate that increases with increasing water to oil volume ratio. Low pH of the water phase promotes mass transfer, whereas high pH and addition of salt has no significant effect. Gelation is however more profoundly affected by both increasing pH and addition of salts.