Method for laboratory testing of solvents for enhanced oil recovery based on dispersiometry and thin layer chromatography

We suggest a method to be used in laboratory testing of solvents for enhanced oil recovery based on thin layer chromatography. All solvents may be described with the help of the separation factor and solvent time. The former is defined by the position of the geometrical center of track left by the dark oil components, which characterizes the elution ability of the solvent. The latter is defined by the time it takes the solvent front to reach the final mark, which characterizes its wettability. The wetting ability of the solvent can be estimated using the multiplicative factors of the equation, describing the motion of the solvent front on the plate in time. We used the TLC silica plates (Silufol/Sorbfil) as a model of porous sandstone reservoirs. Each solvent was characterized by dispersion of the refractive index as one of the criteria for ranking solvents by their efficiency.