Visualizing and Quantifying Wettability Alteration by Silica Nanofluids

An aqueous suspension of silica nanoparticles or nanofluid can alter the wettability surfaces, specifically by making them hydrophilic and oil-repellent under water. Wettability alteration nanofluids has important technological applications, including for enhanced oil recovery heat transfer processes. A common way to characterize is measuring contact angles an droplet with without nanoparticles. While easy perform, angle measurements do not fully capture changes surface. Here, we employed several complementary techniques, such as cryo-scanning electron microscopy, confocal fluorescence reflection interference contrast probe atomic force microscopy (AFM), visualize quantify alterations fumed We found that adsorbed onto glass surfaces form a porous layer hierarchical micro- nanostructures. The trap thin water film, which reduces between solid substrate. As result, even small addition (0.1 wt %) lowers adhesion 20 μm sized more than 400 times from 210 ± 10 0.5 0.3 nN measured using AFM. Finally, show improve rates 8% in micromodel channels resemble physical rock network.