Stability analysis of nanofluid with aluminum oxide and polyacrylamide for enhanced oil recovery: insight into experimental investigation

Globally, the field of enhanced oil recovery has seen a significant rise in the use of nanotechnology. To investigate the value addition that aluminum oxide and Polyacrylamide prepared nanofluid provide to the enhanced oil recovery process, an experimental investigation was carried out at low salinity (NaCl 1.0 wt%). The experimental study employing sedimentation, pH, EDX, FTIR, and XRD of aluminium oxide was examined in a lab setting in order to fully understand the nanofluids. The microstructure of nanofluid was investigated to understand the insight into structure. The impact of Al₂O₃ concentration (0.05wt%—0.25wt%) in brine solution (NaCl 1.0 wt%) with PAM concentration (0.30wt%—0.50wt%) was investigated under laboratory conditions. The nanofluid was investigated using SEM,EDX and additionally FTIR and XRD. The stability analysis with visual investigation and UV-Spectroscopy marks that most stable nanofluid consist PAM 0.40 wt%, Al₂O₃ 0.05 wt%, NaCl 1.0 wt%. SEM investigation depicts that nanofluid possesses structure that shows nanoparticles are combined with PAM to form good structure. Moreover, the FTIR investigation shows that strong bonding occurs between -OH group on the surface of Al₂O₃ and the oxygen nitrogen of amide group present in PAM to form strong structure. Additionally, viscosity marks that rising the concentration of Al₂O₃ increases the viscosity and nanofluid with concentration PAM 0.40 wt%, Al₂O₃ 0.20 wt% and NaCl 1.0 wt% possesses viscosity 21.4 cP. It can be marked the nanofluid prepared with Al₂O₃ 0.10 wt% and PAM 0.40 wt% at low salinity (NaCl 1.0 wt%) is stable upto 72 h and can employed to Enhanced Oil Recovery processes.