LAUSR

Abstract Particle reinforced foams have been widely investigated for enhancing oil recovery. The addition of DPG particles into THSB surfactant foam greatly enhances its stability. In this study, the interaction between the THSB surfactant and DPG particles at the gas/liquid interface was investigated by experiments and molecular simulations. The tension and the zeta potential of the DPG/THSB mixed system were measured to show the interaction between them. The effects of the addition of DPG particles on the interfacial properties were studied by microparticle image velocimetry. A molecular dynamics simulation was used to simulate the adsorption properties of THSB and DPG at the gas/liquid interface. The experimental and simulation results indicate that DPG particles and THSB were adsorbed together through electrostatic interactions and hydrophobic interactions. The aggregation of DPG particles at the interface slowed down the fluidity of the interface and surrounding liquid phase. DPG particles were brought onto the interface by the THSB surfactant, which made the interface molecules more compact, the mean square displacement of molecules and the total energy of the mixed system were reduced, and the number of bound water and trapped water in the liquid membrane increased. The addition of DPG particles slowed the movement of molecules in the liquid membrane, and water molecules were hard to diffuse; thus, a more stable liquid film was formed.