Effects of interplay of nanoparticles, surfactants and base fluid on the interfacial tension of nanocolloids

A systematically designed study has been conducted to understand and clearly demarcate the degree of contribution by the constituting elements to the surface tension of nanocolloids. The effects of elements such as surfactants, particles and the combined effects of these on the interfacial tension of these complex fluids are studied employing pendant drop shape analysis method by fitting Young Laplace equation. Only particle has shown considerable increase in surface tension with particle concentration in a polar medium like DI water whereas only marginal effect particles on surface tension in weakly polar mediums like glycerol and ethylene glycol. Such behaviour has been attributed to the enhanced desorption of particles to the interface and a mathematical framework has been derived to quantify this. Combined particle and surfactant effect on surface tension of complex nanofluid system showed a decreasing behaviour with respect to the particle and surfactant concentration with a considerably feeble effect of particle concentration. This combined colloidal system recorded a surface tension value below the surface tension of aqueous surfactant system at the same concentration, which is a counterintuitive observation as only particle results in increase in surface tension and only surfactant results in decrease in surface tension. The possible physical mechanism behind such an anomaly happening at the complex fluid air interface has been explained. Detailed analyses based on thermodynamic, mechanical and chemical equilibrium of the constituents and their adsorption-desorption characteristics as extracted from Gibbs adsorption analysis has been provided.