In
this study, the dynamic IFT and dilational rheological behavior
of fluids/nanofluids generated from cetyltrimethylammonium bromide
(CTAB)-grafted faujasite (FAU)-based nanoparticles were investigated
in toluene–fluid/nanofluid interfaces under various conditions.
To generate each nanofluid, FAU nanoparticles were initially synthesized
under ambient conditions and then grafted with various quantities
of CTAB surfactants. Afterward, the surface properties (i.e., morphology,
surface area, functionality, and stability) of the synthesized nanoparticles
before and after grafting with a low concentration of CTAB molecules
were investigated by an array of characterization methods (XRD, HRTEM,
BET surface area, ζ-potential, and DLS). The results showed
that our generated FAU-based nanofluids outperformed the nongrafted
FAU and physically mixed CTAB with FAU-based nanofluids in terms of
IFT reduction. Our experimental IFT data were fitted with a general
diffusion model that allowed us to determine the oil–water
(o/w) emulsification mechanism due to the presence of CTAB-grafted
nanoparticles. Based on our investigation, we emphasized that the
IFT reduction was limited with the loading of a substantial amount
of surfactant molecules, indicating that bulky nanoparticles are adsorbed
slowly on the o/w interface. On the other hand, increasing the salinity
level by introducing an additional amount of NaCl led to enhancing
the levels of IFT reduction since the dissociated ions forced more
surfactant molecules to migrate toward the o/w interface. A considerable
viscoelasticity enhancement was remarked in the presence of our CTAB-grafted
nanofluids, indicating that the presence of FAU nanoparticles in the
core of the grafted nanoparticles robustly allowed the adsorption
of higher amounts of CTAB molecules at the interface with less aggregation.
The findings of this study shed light on the applications of nanofluids
generated from grafted nanoparticles at the o/w systems, which can
significantly increase the oil production at the end of water flooding
with more efficient emulsification with surfactant concentration lower
than the critical micelle concentration (CMC).