Experimental Investigation of IFT Changes by GO-SiO2-TiO2 Nanofluids

Nanofluids incorporating nanocomposites have proven to be more economically viable and effective in Lowering Interfacial Tension (IFT) than both surfactant solutions and various hybrid formulations, including nanoparticle-surfactant and nanocomposite-surfactant hybrids. In this research, a novel nanocomposite consisting of graphene oxide, silicon dioxide, and titanium dioxide (GO-SiO2-TiO2) was utilized at varying concentrations to achieve significant reductions in IFT. The objective was to identify the optimal concentration of the GO-SiO2-TiO2 nanofluid that would minimize the IFT between the nanofluid and kerosene to the greatest extent possible. Initially, the GO-SiO2-TiO2 nanocomposite was synthesized specifically for this purpose. Subsequently, a series of analytical techniques including Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and ThermoGravimetric Analysis (TGA) were employed to verify the successful synthesis of the nanocomposite and to characterize its properties. Following this, nanofluids containing the GO-SiO2-TiO2 nanocomposite were prepared in five concentrations: 0 (the deionized water and the reference state), 100, 500, 1500, and 2500 ppm. To measure the IFT values between these nanofluids and kerosene under ambient conditions, the Du Noüy ring technique was used. The IFT measurements obtained were 21.96, 9.67, 5.48, 2.32, and 1.11 mN/m respectively. From these results, it was evident that the 2500 ppm concentration of the GO-SiO2-TiO2 nanofluid dramatically reduced the IFT from the reference value of 21.96 mN/m to the lowest observed value of 1.11 mN/m.