Location
Havener Center, Meramec Gasconade Room, 1:30pm-3:30pm
Start Date
4-2-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-2-2026 2:30 PM
Presentation Date
April 2, 2026; 2:00pm-2:30pm
Description
As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, geothermal energy has emerged as a promising energy alternative to fossil fuels. A barrier to widespread implementation and energy production efficiency is macro-heterogeneity of the rock matrix. Cracks, void spaces, and flow conduits divert fluid flow away from unswept portions of the geothermal reservoir and can cause cooling of the reservoir. Flow heterogeneity has been treated in oil reservoirs by injecting hydrogel particles that travel preferentially to ultra-high permeability zones and selectively block fluid flow in these regions. We are applying polymer hydrogels that withstand hydrothermal conditions of 225 up to 275°C for three or more months and remain swollen during that time. We have developed phosphonate analogs of poly(sodium styrene sulfonate) with the hypothesis that the phosphonate group will have higher hydrothermal stability than the sulfonate group. We will present the synthesis and characterization of a phosphonate-modified polystyrene and the results of hydrothermal testing.
Biography
Sara McCauley is a fourth year Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellow and Ph.D. candidate in the Chemistry Department. She received her Bachelors of Science with a Polymers and Coatings Emphasis from Missouri S&T in 2022. She works in the Schuman Lab and her research aims to develop novel polymer and hydrogel materials for energy applications in petroleum and geothermal energy.
Meeting Name
2026 - Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference
Department(s)
Chemistry
Second Department
Materials Science and Engineering
Document Type
Presentation
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 The Authors, All rights reserved
Synthesis and Hydrothermal Evaluation of Poly(Styrene Phosphonate) for Conformance Control in Geothermal Reservoirs
Havener Center, Meramec Gasconade Room, 1:30pm-3:30pm
As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, geothermal energy has emerged as a promising energy alternative to fossil fuels. A barrier to widespread implementation and energy production efficiency is macro-heterogeneity of the rock matrix. Cracks, void spaces, and flow conduits divert fluid flow away from unswept portions of the geothermal reservoir and can cause cooling of the reservoir. Flow heterogeneity has been treated in oil reservoirs by injecting hydrogel particles that travel preferentially to ultra-high permeability zones and selectively block fluid flow in these regions. We are applying polymer hydrogels that withstand hydrothermal conditions of 225 up to 275°C for three or more months and remain swollen during that time. We have developed phosphonate analogs of poly(sodium styrene sulfonate) with the hypothesis that the phosphonate group will have higher hydrothermal stability than the sulfonate group. We will present the synthesis and characterization of a phosphonate-modified polystyrene and the results of hydrothermal testing.
Comments
Advisor: Thomas P. Schuman, tschuman@mst.edu
Winner - Best Graduate Oral Presentation