Evaluation of Nanoparticle Adsorption Energy in a Silicon Dioxide–Stabilized Surfactant Foam System

Abstract:

Foam flooding is a promising enhanced oil recovery (EOR) while improving the gas sweep efficiency problem of gas flooding. On the other hand, nanotechnology has paved the way for utilizing nanoparticles in surfactant foam while improving foam stability, lamella thickness, bubble size distribution, and oil recovery. The significant difference between nanoparticles and surfactants as foam stabilizers is the adsorption energy of nanoparticles at gas-liquid interfaces, which is thousands of times bigger than surfactants. However, previous studies on nanoparticles' foam adsorption energy are limited by using only nanoparticles (in the absence of surfactants), though it is hard to generate foam since it does not reduce surface tension significantly. Thus, the objective of this study is to determine the adsorption energy of hydrophilic silicon dioxide (SiO2) and partially hydrophobic silicon dioxide (PH SiO2) nanoparticles in the presence of anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactants. Another objective is to analyze and evaluate the effects of adsorption energy on foam stability. Consequently, the particle radius, surface tension, and particle surface wettability were all obtained from the maker, Du Noüy ring tensiometer, and particle surface contact angle. The result shows that the adsorption energy of PH SiO2 was a thousand times greater than hydrophilic SiO2 in the presence or absence of surfactants. Due to PH SiO2 having a slightly bigger particle radius, higher adsorption energy in the PH SiO2 system is mainly by particle hydrophobicity and surface tension. In all systems, the highest adsorption energy is achieved at the lowest concentration of nanoparticles because the increment in nanoparticle concentration reduces the surface tension, eventually lowering the adsorption energy. However, this trend is contradicted with half-life foam stability when it increases with the nanoparticles concentration until the optimum concentration is obtained, then reduced. To sum up, the evaluation of the nanoparticles' foam adsorption energy in this study supports the fundamentals of nanoparticles stabilizing foam that are also influenced by other parameters: the maximum capillary pressure, particle arrangements during film drainage, and growing aggregate and the ‘cork’ formation inside lamella.

• Periodical: Nano Hybrids and Composites (Volume 49)
• Pages: 65-77
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-In7nAM
• Online since: December 2025
• Authors: Wan Mohd Shaharizuan bin Mat Latif*
• Keywords: Adsorption Energy, Foam, Hydrophilic, Partially Hydrophobic, Silicon Dioxide Nanoparticles, Surfactant

References

[1] Sun Q, Li Z, Wang J, Li S, Li B, Jiang L, et al. Aqueous foam stabilized by partially hydrophobic nanoparticles in the presence of surfactant. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp. 2015 Apr 1;471:54–64.

DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2015.02.007

[2] Farhadi H, Riahi S, Ayatollahi S, Ahmadi H. Experimental study of nanoparticle-surfactant-stabilized CO2 foam: Stability and mobility control. Chemical Engineering Research Design. 2016 Jul 1;111:449–60.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2016.05.024

[3] Rodrigues Miranda C, Stori de Lara L, Costa Tonetto B. SPE 157033 Stability and Mobility of Functionalized Silica Nanoparticles for Enhanced Oil Recovery Applications. 2012.

DOI: 10.2118/157033-ms

[4] Denkov ND, Ivanov IB, Kralchevsky PA, Wasan DT. A Possible Mechanism of Stabilization of Emulsions by Solid Particles. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 1992 May, 150(2), 589-593.

DOI: 10.1016/0021-9797(92)90228-e

[5] Schwarz S, Grano S. Effect of particle hydrophobicity on particle and water transport across a flotation froth. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp. 2005 Apr 22;256(2–3):157–64.

DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2005.01.010

[6] Horozov TS. Foams and foam films stabilised by solid particles. Vol. 13, Current Opinion in Colloid and Interface Science. 2008. p.134–40.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2007.11.009

[7] Kaptay G. On the equation of the maximum capillary pressure induced by solid particles to stabilize emulsions and foams and on the emulsion stability diagrams. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp. 2006 Jul 20;282–283:387–401.

DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2005.12.021

[8] Carn F, Colin A, Pitois O, Vignes-Adler M, Backov R. Foam drainage in the presence of nanoparticle-surfactant mixtures. Langmuir. 2009 Jul 21;25(14):7847–56.

DOI: 10.1021/la900414q

[9] Latif WMSM, Sharbini SN, Wan Sulaiman WR, Idris AK. Utilization of silicon dioxide nanoparticles in foam enhanced oil recovery - A comprehensive review. In: IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. Institute of Physics Publishing; 2019.

DOI: 10.1088/1757-899x/469/1/012027

[10] Adkins SS, Gohil D, Dickson JL, Webber SE, Johnston KP. Water-in-carbon dioxide emulsions stabilized with hydrophobic silica particles. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. 2007, 9(48), 6333–6343.

DOI: 10.1039/b711195a

[11] Worthen AJ, Bagaria HG, Chen Y, Bryant SL, Huh C, Johnston KP. Nanoparticle-stabilized carbon dioxide-in-water foams with fine texture. J Colloid Interface Sci. 2013 Feb 1;391(1):142–51.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2012.09.043

[12] Yekeen N, Manan MA, Idris AK, Samin AM, Risal AR. Experimental investigation of minimization in surfactant adsorption and improvement in surfactant-foam stability in presence of silicon dioxide and aluminum oxide nanoparticles. J Pet Sci Eng. 2017 Nov 1;159:115–34.

DOI: 10.1016/j.petrol.2017.09.021

[13] Ogolo NA, Olafuyi OA, Onyekonwu MO. the SPE Saudi Arabia Section Technical Symposium and Exhibition. 2012.

DOI: 10.2118/160847-MS

[14] Kostakis T, Ettelaie R, Murray BS. Effect of high salt concentrations on the stabilization of bubbles by silica particles. Langmuir. 2006 Jan 31;22(3):1273–80.

DOI: 10.1021/la052193f

[15] Paunov VN, Binks BP, Ashby NP. Adsorption of charged colloid particles to charged liquid surfaces. Langmuir. 2002 Sep 3;18(18):6946–55.

DOI: 10.1021/la0203584

[16] Metin CO, Lake LW, Miranda CR, Nguyen QP. Stability of aqueous silica nanoparticle dispersions. Journal of Nanoparticle Research. 2011 Feb;13(2):839–50.

DOI: 10.1007/s11051-010-0085-1

[17] Mat Latif WMS, Musa MSM, Balakirisnan ASM, Sulaiman WRW. The effect of surfactant concentration on nanoparticles surface wettability during wettability alteration of oil-wet carbonate rock. Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Sciences. 2021 Jun 10;15(2):7993–8002.

DOI: 10.15282/jmes.15.2.2021.05.0630

[18] Wang J, Xue G, Tian B, Li S, Chen K, Wang D, et al. Interaction between surfactants and SiO2 nanoparticles in multiphase foam and its plugging ability. Energy and Fuels. 2017 Jan 19;31(1):408–17.

DOI: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b02592

[19] Kirby SM, Anna SL, Walker LM. Effect of surfactant tail length and ionic strength on the interfacial properties of nanoparticle-surfactant complexes. Soft Matter. 2017;14(1):112–23.

DOI: 10.1039/c7sm01806a

[20] Binks BP, Lumsdon SO. Pickering emulsions stabilized by monodisperse latex particles: Effects of particle size. Langmuir. 2001 Jul 24;17(15):4540–7.

DOI: 10.1021/la0103822

[21] Aroonsri A, Worthen A, Hariz T, Johnston K, Huh C, Bryant S. SPE 166319 Conditions for Generating Nanoparticle-Stabilized CO2 Foams in Fracture and Matrix Flow. 2013.

DOI: 10.2118/166319-ms

[22] Binks BP. Particles as surfactants similarities and differences. Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Sciences. 2002 7, 21–41.

DOI: 10.1016/S1359-0294(02)00008-0

[23] Biswal NR, Rangera N, Singh JK. Effect of Different Surfactants on the Interfacial Behavior of the n Hexane-Water System in the Presence of Silica Nanoparticles. Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 2016 Jul 28;120(29):7265–74.

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b03763

[24] Saien J, Rezvani Pour A, Asadabadi S. Interfacial tension of the n-hexane-water system under the influence of magnetite nanoparticles and sodium dodecyl sulfate assembly at different temperatures. J Chem Eng Data. 2014 Jun 12;59(6):1835–42.

DOI: 10.1021/je401066j

[25] Khani, O., Mohammadi, M., Khaz'ali, A.R. et al. Effect of pH value and zeta potential on the stability of CO2 foam stabilized by SDS surfactant and SiO2, ZnO and Fe2O3 nanoparticles. Sci Rep. 2025 15, 10302.

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-94639-1

[26] Issakhov, M., Khanjani, M., Muratkhozhina, A. et al. Experimental and data-driven analysis for predicting nanofluid performance in improving foam stability and reducing mobility at critical micelle concentration. Sci Rep. 2024 14, 7856.

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58609-3

[27] Zhang Y, Feng S, Jing Y, Bai J. Experimental study on the mechanism of nanoparticles improving the stability of high expansion foam. Asia Pasific Journal of Chemical Engineering. 2024 November/December 19(6).

DOI: 10.1002/apj.3148

[28] Rio E, Drenckhan W, Salonen A, Langevin D. Unusually stable liquid foams. Vol. 205, Advances in Colloid and Interface Science. 2014. p.74–86.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2013.10.023

[29] Yekeen N, Idris AK, Manan MA, Samin AM, Risal AR, Kun TX. Bulk and bubble-scale experimental studies of influence of nanoparticles on foam stability. Chin J Chem Eng. 2017 Mar 1;25(3):347–57.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2016.08.012

[30] Rahman A, Torabi F. Surfactant and nanoparticle synergy: Towards improved foam stability. Petroleum 2023 June 29;9(2):255-264.

DOI: 10.1016/j.petlm.2023.02.002

[31] Babamahmoudi S, Riahi S. Application of nano particle for enhancement of foam stability in the presence of crude oil: Experimental investigation. J Mol Liq. 2018 Aug 15;264:499–509.

DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2018.04.093