Effect of nanoparticle on rheological properties of surfactant-based nanofluid for effective carbon utilization: capturing and storage prospects

Previous studies have shown insufficient dispersion and thermal stability of nanofluids for high-temperature carbon capture and storage applications. Compared to the other NPs, TiO₂ nanofluids exhibit superior stability due to their high zeta potential. In previous studies, TiO₂ nanofluids have shown superior performance in heat transfer and cooling applications along with importing the stability of other nanofluids like SiO₂ in form of nanocomposites. Therefore, in this study, a nanofluid formulation consisting of titania nanofluid in a base solution of ethylene glycol (EG) with different co-stabilizers such as surfactants was synthesized for better dispersion stability, enhanced electrical, and rheological properties especially for the use in high-temperature industrial applications which include carbon capture and storage along with enhanced oil recovery. The formulated nanofluid was investigated for stability using dynamic light scattering (DLS) study and electrical conductivity. Additionally, the formulated nanofluid was also examined for thermal stability at high temperatures using an electrical conductivity study followed by rheological measurements at 30 and 90 °C. At a high temperature, the shear-thinning behavior of EG was found highly affected by shear rate; however, this deformation was controlled using TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs). Furthermore, the role of surfactant was also investigated on dispersion stability, electrical conductivity followed by viscosity results, and it was found that the nanofluid is superior in presence of anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as compared to nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 (TX-100). The inclusion of ionic surfactant provides a charged layer of micelles surrounding the core of a NP and it produced additional surface potential. Consequently, it increases the repulsive force between two adjacent NPs and renders a greater stability to nanofluid while nonionic surfactant allowed monomers to adsorb on the surface of NP via hydrophobic interaction and enhances the short-range interparticle repulsion, to stabilize nanofluid. This makes titania nanofluid suitable for widespread high-temperature applications where conventional nanofluids face limitations. Finally, the application of the synthesized titania nanofluids was explored for the capture and transport of CO₂ where the inclusion of the anionic surfactant was found to increase the CO₂ capturing ability of titania nanofluids by 140–220% (over the conventional nanofluid) while also showing superior retention at both investigated temperatures. Thus, the study promotes the role of novel surfactant-treated titania nanofluids for carbon removal and storage and recommends their applications involving carbonated fluid injection (CFI) to carbon utilization in oilfield applications.