Exploring Zeolite–Xanthan Gum Nanocomposites as Potential Candidates for Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Applications

Among the various EOR methods, chemical flooding is widely employed. Xanthan gum (XG), a polymer frequently used since the early days of EOR, continues to be a popular choice. Zeolite enhances oil recovery by reducing the interfacial tension (IFT) between oil and the injected fluid, thereby improving the displacement efficiency of the oil. Thus, a zeolite–XG nanocomposite presents itself as a promising candidate for chemical flooding. In this study, zeolite nanomaterials were synthesized using a hydrothermal method and subsequently combined with xanthan gum through an ex-situ process. The synthesized zeolite was analyzed using FTIR and SEM. FTIR results showed that the Si-O-Si and Al-O functional groups had been identified, indicating that the zeolite had been successfully synthesized. SEM-EDX results confirmed that the zeolite compound had been successfully synthesized with a Si/Al ratio of 1.38 (8.85:6.43). The zeolite-xanthan gum nanocomposite was analyzed using FTIR. FTIR results showed that there were zeolite and xanthan gum functional groups without any other compound functional groups. To determine the potential of the zeolite-XG nanocomposite for EOR applications, viscosity and wettability tests were carried out. Viscosity tests showed that xanthan gum affected the viscosity of the nanocomposite with the highest viscosity value in the nanocomposite of 6.39 mPa.s in the zeolite-XG nanocomposite (1:2). Based on the wettability test results, zeolite fluid, xanthan gum, and zeolite-xanthan gum combination (1:2) are able to change the wettability properties from oil-wet to intermediate-wet. On the other hand, zeolite-xanthan gum fluid (1:1) and zeolite-xanthan gum (2:1) are not able to change the wettability properties. Based on these results, zeolite-xanthan gum nanocomposites have the potential to be used in chemical enhanced oil recovery applications.