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Daglish J, Blacker AJ, de Boer G, Russell SJ, Tausif M, Hose DJ, Parsons AR, Crampton A, Kapur N. A Coalescing Filter for Liquid-Liquid Separation and Multistage Extraction in Continuous-Flow Chemistry. Org Process Res Dev 2024; 28:1979-1989. [PMID: 38783854 PMCID: PMC11110050 DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.4c00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Presented here is the design and performance of a coalescing liquid-liquid filter, based on low-cost and readily available meltblown nonwoven substrates for separation of immiscible phases. The performance of the coalescer was determined across three broad classes of fluid mixtures: (i) immiscible organic/aqueous systems, (ii) a surfactant laden organic/aqueous system with modification of the type of emulsion and interfacial surface tension through the addition of sodium chloride, and (iii) a water-acetone/toluene system. The first two classes demonstrated good performance of the equipment in effecting separation, including the separation of a complex emulsion system for which a membrane separator, operating through transport of a preferentially wetting fluid through the membrane, failed entirely. The third system was used to demonstrate the performance of the separator within a multistage liquid-liquid counterflow extraction system. The performance, robust nature, and scalability of coalescing filters should mean that this approach is routinely considered for liquid-liquid separations and extractions within the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Daglish
- School
of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - A. John Blacker
- School
of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Gregory de Boer
- School
of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Muhammad Tausif
- School
of Design, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - David
R. J. Hose
- Chemical
Development, Pharmaceutical Technology and Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield SK10 2NA, United Kingdom
| | - Anna R. Parsons
- Chemical
Development, Pharmaceutical Technology and Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield SK10 2NA, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Crampton
- Chemical
Development, Pharmaceutical Technology and Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield SK10 2NA, United Kingdom
| | - Nikil Kapur
- School
of Mechanical Engineering, University of
Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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2
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Daglish J, Blacker AJ, de Boer G, Crampton A, Hose DRJ, Parsons AR, Kapur N. Determining Phase Separation Dynamics with an Automated Image Processing Algorithm. Org Process Res Dev 2023; 27:627-639. [PMID: 37122340 PMCID: PMC10127267 DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.2c00357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
The problems of extracting products efficiently from reaction workups are often overlooked. Issues such as emulsions and rag layer formation can cause long separation times and slow production, thus resulting in manufacturing inefficiencies. To better understand science within this area and to support process development, an image processing methodology has been developed that can automatically track the interface between liquid-liquid phases and provide a quantitative measure of the separation rate of two immiscible liquids. The algorithm is automated and has been successfully applied to 29 cases. Its robustness has been demonstrated with a variety of different liquid mixtures that exhibit a wide range of separation behavior-making such an algorithm suited to high-throughput experimentation. The information gathered from applying the algorithm shows how issues resulting from poor separations can be detected early in process development.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Daglish
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - A. John Blacker
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Gregory de Boer
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
| | - Alex Crampton
- Chemical Development, Pharmaceutical Technology and Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield SK10 2NA, U.K
| | - David R. J. Hose
- Chemical Development, Pharmaceutical Technology and Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield SK10 2NA, U.K
| | - Anna R. Parsons
- Chemical Development, Pharmaceutical Technology and Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Macclesfield SK10 2NA, U.K
| | - Nikil Kapur
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K
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3
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Schirone D, Gentile L, Olsson U, Palazzo G. Optimum formulation conditions for cationic surfactants via rheo-titration in turbulent regime. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2022.129154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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4
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Zheng Y, Davis CR, Howarter JA, Erk KA, Martinez CJ. Spontaneous Emulsions: Adjusting Spontaneity and Phase Behavior by Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Difference-Guided Surfactant, Salt, and Oil Selection. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:4276-4286. [PMID: 35357182 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c03444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Spontaneous emulsion behavior has been difficult to predict and could be influenced by many variables including salinity, temperature, and chemical composition of the oil and surfactant. In this work, the hydrophilic-lipophilic difference (HLD) framework was used to predict the formation of spontaneous emulsions using a mixture of Span-80 and SLES surfactants. The spontaneity and emulsion behavior of different systems were modeled by estimating the HLDmix. The influence of surfactant ratio, salinity, and oil type was investigated. Spontaneous emulsification could only be observed when the HLDmix was between -0.96 and 1.04. Within this range, a negative HLDmix resulted in a greater spontaneity to form o/w emulsion, and a w/o emulsion was more likely to form when the HLDmix was positive. When the HLDmix was close to 0 (between -0.22 and 0.56 in our systems), emulsions were formed in both the oil and aqueous phases with high spontaneity. A combined effect of ultralow interfacial tension, Span-80 micelle swelling, and interfacial turbulence due to Marangoni effects is likely the main mechanism of the spontaneous emulsification observed in this study. A synergistic reduction in interfacial tension was observed between Span-80 and SLES (<1 mN/m). When the HLD of the system was close to 0, a bicontinuous emulsion phase was formed at the oil-water interface. The bicontinuous emulsion broke-up over time due to the ultralow interfacial tension and interfacial turbulence, forming dispersed oil and water droplets. Results from this work provide a practical method to suggest what surfactant composition, salinity, and oil type could promote (or eliminate) the conditions favorable for spontaneous emulsification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Zheng
- School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Cole R Davis
- Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, 300 Highway 361, Crane, Indiana 47522, United States
| | - John A Howarter
- School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Kendra A Erk
- School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Carlos J Martinez
- School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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5
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The Formulation, Development and Application of Oil Dispersants. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse10030425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Oil spills in open waters pose a significant threat to marine life. The application of dispersant as an oil-spill response is a promising approach to minimize the environmental burden caused by these accidental events. Dispersants have been accepted and applied by many countries around the world as a countermeasure in responding to oil spills due to their great success and advancements in recent years. This review covers different approaches for design and development of chemical formulas of oil dispersants with the aim to improve dispersing efficiencies, followed by formulating non-chemical dispersants, which are more environmentally friendly approaches. The encouraging properties motivate scientific communities to research and develop these non-chemical-based dispersants. In general, this review intends to offer a multi-perspective overall picture of progress made in recent years to develop and apply different dispersants suitable for combating oil spills.
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6
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HLD-NAC design and evaluation of a fully dilutable lecithin-linker SMEDDS for ibuprofen. Int J Pharm 2021; 610:121237. [PMID: 34718090 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.121237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Lecithin-linker microemulsions have been previously proposed as a platform for designing a fully dilutable self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS). This SMEDDS formulation, composed of ethyl caprate (oil), lecithin (Le), glycerol monooleate (lipophilic linker, LL) and polyglycerol caprylate (hydrophilic linker, HL), produced a ternary phase diagram (TPD) that had a fully dilutable path suitable for oral drug delivery. However, introducing ibuprofen as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) resulted in TPD phase boundaries that eliminated the fully dilutable path. The purpose of this work was to understand the origin of the changes in the TPD, use that understanding to restore the fully dilutable path with an ibuprofen-loaded SMEDDS, and finally to evaluate the absorption of ibuprofen in vivo. The effect of ibuprofen on the HLD (hydrophilic-lipophilic difference, interpreted as normalized net interfacial curvature) of the system was evaluated via a polar oil model, showing that ibuprofen played a surfactant-like role, having a characteristic curvature (Cc) value of +5 (highly hydrophobic). The net-average curvature (NAC) framework used the HLD calculated with Le, LL, HL and ibuprofen Cc to generate TPDs in ibuprofen lecithin-linker systems. The HLD-NAC simulations show that restoring full dilutability required a highly hydrophilic linker (HL-) with a Cc of -5 or more negative. The fully dilutable path was restored after introducing a hexaglycerol caprylate as HL- (Cc = -6). Plasma concentration profiles obtained with this ibuprofen-loaded SMEDDS showed a more than three-fold increase in the area under the curve (AUC) of rat plasma concentration profiles compared to the same 25 mg/kg ibuprofen dose in suspension.
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7
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Acosta E, Natali S. Effect of surfactant concentration on the hydrophobicity of polydisperse alkyl ethoxylates. J SURFACTANTS DETERG 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jsde.12548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Acosta
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Sanja Natali
- Chemical Intermediates ExxonMobil Chemical Company Houston Texas USA
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8
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Design of industrial wastewater demulsifier by HLD-NAC model. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16111. [PMID: 34373524 PMCID: PMC8352873 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95485-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The chemical method is one of the treatment techniques for the separation of oil–water emulsion systems. The selection of appropriate demulsifiers for each emulsion system is the most challenging issue. Hydrophilic-lipophilic-deviation (HLD) is a powerful semi-empirical model, providing predictive tools to formulate the emulsion and microemulsion systems. This work aims to apply HLD to obtain an optimal condition for demulsification of oil-in-water emulsion system—real industrial wastewater—with different water in oil ratios (WOR). Therefore, the oil parameter of the contaminant oil and surfactant parameter for three types of commercial surfactants were calculated by performing salinity scans. Furthermore, the net-average-curvature (NAC) framework coupled with HLD was used to predict the phase behavior of the synthetic microemulsion systems, incorporating solubilization properties, the shape of droplets, and quality of optimum formulation. The geometrical sizes of non-spherical droplets (Ld, Rd)—as an indicator of how droplet sizes are changing with HLD—were consistent with the separation results. Correlating Ld/Rd at phase transition points with bottle test results validates the hypothesis that NAC-predicted geometries and demulsification behavior are interconnected. Finally, the effect of sec-butanol was examined on both synthetic and real systems, providing reliable insights in terms of the effect of alcohol for WOR ≠ 1.
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Corcoran LG, Saldana Almaraz BA, Amen KY, Bothun GD, Raghavan SR, John VT, McCormick AV, Penn RL. Using Microemulsion Phase Behavior as a Predictive Model for Lecithin-Tween 80 Marine Oil Dispersant Effectiveness. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:8115-8128. [PMID: 34191521 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c00651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Marine oil dispersants typically contain blends of surfactants dissolved in solvents. When introduced to the crude oil-seawater interface, dispersants facilitate the breakup of crude oil into droplets that can disperse in the water column. Recently, questions about the environmental persistence and toxicity of commercial dispersants have led to the development of "greener" dispersants consisting solely of food-grade surfactants such as l-α-phosphatidylcholine (lecithin, L) and polyoxyethylenated sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80, T). Individually, neither L nor T is effective at dispersing crude oil, but mixtures of the two (LT blends) work synergistically to ensure effective dispersion. The reasons for this synergy remain unexplained. More broadly, an unresolved challenge is to be able to predict whether a given surfactant (or a blend) can serve as an effective dispersant. Herein, we investigate whether the LT dispersant effectiveness can be correlated with thermodynamic phase behavior in model systems. Specifically, we study ternary "DOW" systems comprising LT dispersant (D) + a model oil (hexadecane, O) + synthetic seawater (W), with the D formulation being systematically varied (across 0:100, 20:80, 40:60, 60:40, 80:20, and 100:0 L:T weight ratios). We find that the most effective LT dispersants (60:40 and 80:20 L:T) induce broad Winsor III microemulsion regions in the DOW phase diagrams (Winsor III implies that the microemulsion coexists with aqueous and oil phases). This correlation is generally consistent with expectations from hydrophilic-lipophilic deviation (HLD) calculations, but specific exceptions are seen. This study then outlines a protocol that allows the phase behavior to be observed on short time scales (ca. hours) and provides a set of guidelines to interpret the results. The complementary use of HLD calculations and the outlined fast protocol are expected to be used as a predictive model for effective dispersant blends, providing a tool to guide the efficient formulation of future marine oil dispersants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis G Corcoran
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Brian A Saldana Almaraz
- Washington Technology Magnet School, 1495 Rice Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55117, United States
| | - Kamilah Y Amen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Geoffrey D Bothun
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Rhode Island, 51 Lower College Road, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, United States
| | - Srinivasa R Raghavan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, 4418 Stadium Drive, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Vijay T John
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, 300 Lindy Boggs Building, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, United States
| | - Alon V McCormick
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - R Lee Penn
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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10
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Gradzielski M, Duvail M, de Molina PM, Simon M, Talmon Y, Zemb T. Using Microemulsions: Formulation Based on Knowledge of Their Mesostructure. Chem Rev 2021; 121:5671-5740. [PMID: 33955731 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Microemulsions, as thermodynamically stable mixtures of oil, water, and surfactant, are known and have been studied for more than 70 years. However, even today there are still quite a number of unclear aspects, and more recent research work has modified and extended our picture. This review gives a short overview of how the understanding of microemulsions has developed, the current view on their properties and structural features, and in particular, how they are related to applications. We also discuss more recent developments regarding nonclassical microemulsions such as surfactant-free (ultraflexible) microemulsions or ones containing uncommon solvents or amphiphiles (like antagonistic salts). These new findings challenge to some extent our previous understanding of microemulsions, which therefore has to be extended to look at the different types of microemulsions in a unified way. In particular, the flexibility of the amphiphilic film is the key property to classify different microemulsion types and their properties in this review. Such a classification of microemulsions requires a thorough determination of their structural properties, and therefore, the experimental methods to determine microemulsion structure and dynamics are reviewed briefly, with a particular emphasis on recent developments in the field of direct imaging by means of electron microscopy. Based on this classification of microemulsions, we then discuss their applications, where the application demands have to be met by the properties of the microemulsion, which in turn are controlled by the flexibility of their amphiphilic interface. Another frequently important aspect for applications is the control of the rheological properties. Normally, microemulsions are low viscous and therefore enhancing viscosity has to be achieved by either having high concentrations (often not wished for) or additives, which do not significantly interfere with the microemulsion. Accordingly, this review gives a comprehensive account of the properties of microemulsions, including most recent developments and bringing them together from a united viewpoint, with an emphasis on how this affects the way of formulating microemulsions for a given application with desired properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Gradzielski
- Stranski-Laboratorium für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Magali Duvail
- ICSM, Université Montpellier, CEA, CNRS, ENSCM, 30207 Marcoule, France
| | - Paula Malo de Molina
- Centro de Física de Materiales (CFM) (CSIC-UPV/EHU)-Materials Physics Center (MPC), Paseo Manuel de Lardizabal 5, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain.,IKERBASQUE - Basque Foundation for Science, María Díaz de Haro 3, 48013 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Miriam Simon
- Stranski-Laboratorium für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, D-10623 Berlin, Germany.,Department of Chemical Engineering and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnolgy Inst. (RBNI), Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, IL-3200003, Israel
| | - Yeshayahu Talmon
- Department of Chemical Engineering and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnolgy Inst. (RBNI), Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, IL-3200003, Israel
| | - Thomas Zemb
- Stranski-Laboratorium für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin, D-10623 Berlin, Germany.,ICSM, Université Montpellier, CEA, CNRS, ENSCM, 30207 Marcoule, France
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11
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Acosta E. Engineering cosmetics using the Net-Average-Curvature (NAC) model. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2020.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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12
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Ghayour A, Acosta E. Characterizing the Oil-like and Surfactant-like Behavior of Polar Oils. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:15038-15050. [PMID: 31633933 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b02732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In this work, a bifunctional model was developed to fit and predict the phase inversion point (PIP) of microemulsions containing polar oils. This model incorporated the hydrophilic-lipophilic difference (HLD) equations, where HLD = 0 at the PIP. The model uses a Langmuir isotherm to account for the interfacial segregation of polar oils as a function of their concentration in the bulk oil phase. The segregated polar oil was treated as being surfactant-like, having a characteristic curvature (Cc). The polar oil in the bulk oil phase was characterized via an equivalent alkane carbon number (EACN). The Cc value was obtained considering deviations in the PIP at low polar oil concentrations. The EACN was determined considering PIP deviations at high polar oil concentrations. Naphthenic acid and dodecanol were used as model polar oils mixed with ionic and nonionic surfactants and nonpolar oils. The EACN of the polar oil was shown to be independent of the EACN of the nonpolar oil and likely independent of the surfactant. The Cc for dodecanol was likely independent of the surfactant used. For naphthenic acid, the Cc was independent of the nonpolar oil, and within a certain surfactant type (ionic, nonionic, or extended ionic), it was likely independent of the surfactant. For the naphthenic acid systems, the segregation predicted via the bifunctional model was consistent with experimental measurements of this segregation. Given that the bifunctional model only involves phase inversion experiments, it is a convenient method to determine the oil-like and surfactant-like nature of polar oils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Ghayour
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry , University of Toronto , 200 College Street , Toronto , Ontario M5S 3E5 , Canada
| | - Edgar Acosta
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry , University of Toronto , 200 College Street , Toronto , Ontario M5S 3E5 , Canada
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13
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Sundar S, Nouraei M, Latta T, Acosta E. Hydrophilic-Lipophilic-Difference (HLD) Guided Formulation of Oil Spill Dispersants with Biobased Surfactants. TENSIDE SURFACT DET 2019. [DOI: 10.3139/113.110643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The large-scale use of dispersants during the BP Horizon spill revealed various risks associated with these formulations, particularly the use of volatile organic compound (VOC) solvents linked to respiratory illnesses, and the poor biodegradability of surfactants. Previous attempts at solving these issues involved formulations of lecithin and polyethylene glycol ester of sorbitan monooleate (Tween® 80) that still required the use of a volatile solvent, ethanol. In this work, the Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Difference (HLD) framework was used to develop a lecithin formulation containing food-grade lipophilic (Glycerol MonoOleate – GMO- and sorbitan monooleate – Span® 80) and hydrophilic (polyglycerol caprylate) linkers in combination with a nonvolatile and mineral oil solvent with food additive status. The HLD parameters for lecithin, linkers, and oils were used to determine the lecithin-linker formulas that yielded HLD ∼0 (the surfactant phase inversion point), reaching interfacial tensions of 10−2 mN/m, and high emulsification effectiveness with diluted bitumen. This effectiveness was close to that obtained with a simulated dispersant, and superior to the lecithin-Tween® 80-ethanol formula. The lecithin-linker system produced 4–11 μm emulsified drops, sufficiently small to enhance the biodegradability of the dispersion.
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14
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Stammitti-Scarpone A, Acosta EJ. Solid-Liquid-Liquid Wettability of Surfactant-Oil-Water Systems and Its Prediction around the Phase Inversion Point. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:4305-4318. [PMID: 30821467 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b03907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Surfactant-oil-water (SOW) systems are important for numerous applications, including hard surface cleaning, detergency, and enhanced oil-recovery applications. There is limited literature on the wettability of solid-liquid-liquid (SLL) systems around the surfactant phase inversion point (PIP), and the few references that exist point to wettability inversion accompanying the microemulsion (μE) phase inversion. Despite the significance of this phenomenon and the extreme changes in contact angles, there are no models to predict SLL wettability as a function of proximity to the PIP. Recent works on SLL wettability in surfactant-free systems suggest that SLL contact angles can be predicted with an extension of Neumann's equation of state (e-EQS) if the interfacial tension (IFT or γo-w) is known and if there is a good estimate for the interfacial energy between the wetting phase and the surface (γS-wetting liquid). In this work, IFT predictions for SOW systems around the PIP were obtained via the combined hydrophilic-lipophilic difference (HLD) and net-average-curvature (NAC) framework. To test the hypothesis that the combined HLD-NAC + e-EQS can predict wettability inversion around the PIP, with a given γS-μE, the contact angles (measured through the light oil phase, θO) for the μE of sodium dihexyl sulfosuccinate-toluene-saline water system were measured on high surface free energy (SFE) materials (glass, stainless steel, and mica) and on polytetrafluoroethylene (low SFE) around the PIP. Considering that at the PIP, most systems have a contact angle of 90°, an estimated γS-μE = 1/4γo-w@PIP was found to be suitable for the systems considered in this work and for systems presented in the literature. The largest deviations between the predictions and the experimental values were found in the positive HLD range (surfactant in the light oil phase). Although there is room for improvement, this framework can estimate the wetting behavior of SOW systems starting solely from formulation parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurelio Stammitti-Scarpone
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry , University of Toronto , Toronto , Ontario , M5S3E5 , Canada
| | - Edgar J Acosta
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry , University of Toronto , Toronto , Ontario , M5S3E5 , Canada
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15
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Grenoble Z, Trabelsi S. Mechanisms, performance optimization and new developments in demulsification processes for oil and gas applications. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2018; 260:32-45. [PMID: 30170690 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The present review discusses new developments and optimization of demulsification processes in oil and gas applications, and highlights the critical parameters. Discussed are the primary mechanisms of demulsification, as well as the strategies for developing optimum demulsifiers. Demulsification mechanisms are presented in the context of emulsion stability principles which are equally applicable to the destabilization of crude oil-water emulsions. The present paper is a concise overview of the various surfactant classes and their structure-activity relationship. It correlates demulsification optimization with surfactant properties and their applications. These classes include, but are not limited to pluronic block co-polymers, as well as amine- and siloxane based nonionic surfactants. The emphasis is on providing some strategies for achieving optimum crude oil-water separation efficiency by tuning the demulsifier to the intended application and crude oil properties. A brief overview of unconventional analytical techniques, which reach beyond the standard demulsifier evaluation methods, i.e., Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR), and in particular, low resolution NMR relaxometry, highlights their role in monitoring demulsification processes.
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