Mechanistic study of nanoparticles–surfactant foam flow in etched glass micro-models

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted in order to identify the pore-level mechanisms controlling the nanoparticles–surfactant foams flow process and residual oil mobilization in etched glass micro-models. The dominant mechanism of foam propagation and residual oil mobilization in water-wet system was identified as lamellae division and emulsification of oil, respectively. There was inter-bubble trapping of oil and water, lamellae detaching and collapsing of SDS-foam in the presence of oil in water-wet system and in oil-wet system. The dominant mechanisms of nanoparticles–surfactant foam flow and residual oil mobilization in oil-wet system were the generation of pore spanning continuous gas foam. The identified mechanisms were independent of pore geometry. The SiO₂-SDS and Al₂O₃-SDS foams propagate successfully in water-wet and oil-wet systems; foam coalescence was prevented during film stretching due to the adsorption and accumulation of the nanoparticles at the gas–liquid interface of the foam, which increased the films’ interfacial viscoelasticity.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Flow process
• foam
• mechanisms
• nanoparticles–surfactant
• oil-wet
• water-wet

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Malaysia, and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia for supporting this research through research management grant Vot no.Q.J130000.2542.08H61.