Inorganic Chemistry opens the door to a diverse and complex world of career opportunities ranging from fundamental research, application development, and business. Having played in each of these sandboxes through my career, I am now involved in all three at once. SiGNa Chemistry is an alkali technology company that has developed reactive materials for chemical manufacturing and oil recovery applications. Alkali metal silicides in particular are useful for enhancing oil recovery in a variety of light, medium and heavy oil reservoirs. These chemicals, which combine the effects of thermal, immiscible gas and chemical mechanisms, are free-flowing granules or very fine powders that are best stabilized and applied downhole as hydrocarbon dispersions. When introduced into the formation through an appropriate non-aqueous carrier fluid, such as diesel or mineral oils, these materials rapidly react with the water in the reservoir pore space, releasing hydrogen gas and heat, and converting into alkali silicates. The silicide-water reaction provides energy to the reservoir to enhance oil recovery primarily through the generation of hydrogen gas pressure. Secondary oil recovery effects include: oil viscosity reductions due to temperature, and solvent dilution from the carrier fluid; interfacial tension reduction due to in-situ surfactant generation from interaction of the crude oil organic acids in the reservoir oil and the alkalinity of the produced silicates.<br/>

Basic research, technology commercialization, business management…and back

256th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.