Waan Chulakham

The ability of nanoparticles to reversibly bind to an interface of two immiscible liquids allows researchers to develop innovative solutions to recover petroleum products in both conventional and unconventional oil drillings. In addition, irreversible adsorption of surfactant molecules onto a particle surface can be used to tune the particle’s hydrophobicity which gives rise to its versatile affinity to the interface. Environmentally friendly nanoparticles such as lignin serve as possible candidates for replacing toxic additives in fracking fluid and surfactant flooding agents in the enhanced oil recovery process. However, the stability of the particles and their efficiency in such applications require further investigation. The fundamentals of this study can also be applied to better understand the transport of solute and colloidal species through porous media, as well as the adsorption of biopolymer particles at the oil-water interface.