Temperature- Insensitive Nonpolar Suspensions of Polyoxyethylene Alkyl Ether-Grafted Silica Nanoparticles

Chu, Cailing1; Tan, Fei1; Zhu, Xiuyan1; Su, Long1; Xu, Zhenghe2; Sun, Dejun1

2024-06-13

10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c01270

LANGMUIR   影响因子和分区

0743-7463

1520-5827

Nonpolar suspensions of organically modified particles exhibit a strong temperature sensitivity owing to the high-temperature-induced desorption/decomposition and the low-temperature-induced disorder/order conformational transition of the modifiers. This strong temperature sensitivity limits their applications, such as lubricants and oil-based drilling fluids, which require the suspensions to operate over a wide temperature range (e.g., 0-200 degrees C). We hypothesize that the introduction of a flexible ethylene oxide (EO) chain into the modifiers can disrupt the low-temperature-induced ordered conformation to improve the stability of the nonpolar suspensions. In this article, nonpolar suspensions with temperature insensitivity in the range of 5-160 degrees C were obtained via the covalent modification of silica NPs and the introduction of EO chains into the modifier molecules. Here, octadecyl-grafted silica NPs (C18-SiO2) and polyoxyethylene alkyl ether-grafted silica NPs (AEOn-SiO2) were synthesized and subsequently dispersed in mineral oil. The rheological properties of each suspension at different temperatures were evaluated, and the thermal stability of AEOn-SiO2 in mineral oil was investigated along with the conformational changes of the grafted chains. In the temperature range of 5-160 degrees C, the apparent viscosity and gel strength of the C18-SiO2 suspension changed dramatically, whereas the AEOn-SiO2 suspensions exhibited constant rheological properties over this temperature range. This temperature insensitivity of AEOn-SiO2 suspensions is attributed to the excellent thermal stability of AEOn-SiO2 in mineral oil and the disordered conformation of the EO chains upon cooling. This study provides a novel approach to preparing temperature-insensitive nonpolar suspensions, which have potential applications in the petroleum and lubricant industries.

SCI ; EI

英语

其他

Chemistry ; Materials Science

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary ; Chemistry, Physical ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary

WOS:001247415600001

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

CHEMISTRY

Web of Science

1.Shandong Univ, Minist Educ, Key Lab Colloid & Interface Chem, Jinan 250100, Shandong, Peoples R China
2.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Mat Sci & Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China

Chu, Cailing,Tan, Fei,Zhu, Xiuyan,et al. Temperature- Insensitive Nonpolar Suspensions of Polyoxyethylene Alkyl Ether-Grafted Silica Nanoparticles[J]. LANGMUIR,2024,40(25).

Chu, Cailing,Tan, Fei,Zhu, Xiuyan,Su, Long,Xu, Zhenghe,&Sun, Dejun.(2024).Temperature- Insensitive Nonpolar Suspensions of Polyoxyethylene Alkyl Ether-Grafted Silica Nanoparticles.LANGMUIR,40(25).

Chu, Cailing,et al."Temperature- Insensitive Nonpolar Suspensions of Polyoxyethylene Alkyl Ether-Grafted Silica Nanoparticles".LANGMUIR 40.25(2024).