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Niu H, Wang W, Dou Z, Chen X, Chen X, Chen H, Fu X. Multiscale combined techniques for evaluating emulsion stability: A critical review. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 311:102813. [PMID: 36403408 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2022.102813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Emulsions are multiscale and thermodynamically unstable systems which will undergo various unstable processes over time. The behavior of emulsifier molecules at the oil-water interface and the properties of the interfacial film are very important to the stability of the emulsion. In this paper, we mainly discussed the instability phenomena and mechanisms of emulsions, the effects of interfacial films on the long-term stability of emulsions and summarized a set of systematic multiscale combined methods for studying emulsion stability, including droplet size and distribution, zeta-potential, the continuous phase viscosity, adsorption mass and thickness of the interfacial film, interfacial dilatational rheology, interfacial shear rheology, particle tracking microrheology, visualization technologies of the interfacial film, molecular dynamics simulation and the quantitative evaluation methods of emulsion stability. This review provides the latest research progress and a set of systematic multiscale combined techniques and methods for researchers who are committed to the study of oil-water interface and emulsion stability. In addition, this review has important guiding significances for designing and customizing interfacial films with different properties, so as to obtain emulsion-based delivery systems with varying stability, oil digestibility and bioactive substance utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Niu
- Hainan University-HSF/LWL Collaborative Innovation Laboratory, School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, 58 People Road, Haikou 570228, PR China; SCUT-Zhuhai Institute of Modern Industrial Innovation, School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
| | - Wenduo Wang
- School of Food Science and Technology, Guangdong Ocean University, Yangjiang 529500, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Zuman Dou
- Microbiome Medicine Center, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xianwei Chen
- SCUT-Zhuhai Institute of Modern Industrial Innovation, School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, PR China
| | - Xianxiang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, PR China
| | - Haiming Chen
- Hainan University-HSF/LWL Collaborative Innovation Laboratory, School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, 58 People Road, Haikou 570228, PR China; Maritime Academy, Hainan Vocational University of Science and Technology, 18 Qiongshan Road, Haikou 571126, PR China.
| | - Xiong Fu
- SCUT-Zhuhai Institute of Modern Industrial Innovation, School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, 381 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510640, PR China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510640, PR China; Overseas Expertise Introduction Center for Discipline Innovation of Food Nutrition and Human Health (111 Center), Guangzhou, PR China.
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2
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Xia X, Ma J, Geng S, Liu F, Yao M. A Review of Oil-Solid Separation and Oil-Water Separation in Unconventional Heavy Oil Production Process. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:74. [PMID: 36613516 PMCID: PMC9820792 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Unconventional heavy oil ores (UHO) have been considered an important part of petroleum resources and an alternative source of chemicals and energy supply. Due to the participation of water and extractants, oil-solid separation (OSS) and oil-water separation (OWS) processes are inevitable in the industrial separation processes of UHO. Therefore, this critical review systematically reviews the basic theories of OSS and OWS, including solid wettability, contact angle, oil-solid interactions, structural characteristics of natural surfactants and interface characteristics of interfacially active asphaltene film. With the basic theories in mind, the corresponding OSS and OWS mechanisms are discussed. Finally, the present challenges and future research considerations are touched on to provide insights and theoretical fundamentals for OSS and OWS. Additionally, this critical review might even be useful for the provision of a framework of research prospects to guide future research directions in laboratories and industries that focus on the OSS and OWS processes in this important heavy oil production field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Xia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- Guizhou Key Laboratory for Green Chemical and Clean Energy Technology, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Jun Ma
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- Guizhou Key Laboratory for Green Chemical and Clean Energy Technology, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Shuo Geng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- Guizhou Key Laboratory for Green Chemical and Clean Energy Technology, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- Guizhou Key Laboratory for Green Chemical and Clean Energy Technology, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Mengqin Yao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- Guizhou Key Laboratory for Green Chemical and Clean Energy Technology, Guiyang 550025, China
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3
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Liu W, Fu H, Bao M, Luo C, Han X, Zhang D, Liu H, Li Y, Lu J. Emulsions stabilized by asphaltene-polyacrylamide-soil three-phase components: Stabilization mechanism and concentration effects. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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4
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Feng L, Manica R, Lu Y, Liu B, Lu H, Liu Q. Effect of sodium citrate on asphaltene film at the oil-water interface. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 625:24-32. [PMID: 35714405 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.05.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Sodium citrate (Na3Cit) has been proven to improve the oil sands extraction recovery, but its mechanism is still unclear. Here we hypothesize that the presence of Na3Cit affects the asphaltene behaviour at the oil-water interface, which enhances oil-water separation and, thereby, heavy oil recovery. EXPERIMENTS Na3Cit-asphaltene interaction was first investigated on their interfacial shear rheology at one heptol-water interface. Na3Cit-asphaltene interaction was further revealed by measuring the interaction forces between two heptol-water interfaces using the atomic force microscopy droplet technique combined with the Stokes-Reynolds-Young-Laplace (SRYL) model. Interfacial properties were further illustrated through interfacial tension, zeta potential, Langmuir trough, and FE-SEM. FINDINGS Na3Cit was found to weaken the strength of the asphaltene film at the heptol-water interface. Moreover, Na3Cit could diminish the adhesion forces observed between two asphaltene-in-heptol droplets in high salinity solutions. Besides, Na3Cit also made the asphaltene-in-heptol droplet more negatively charged. These results collectively suggest that Na3Cit-asphaltene interaction results in a looser and more elastic asphaltene interfacial network with the slow formation and reduces the adhesion between two interfaces, all of which are most likely the consequence of increased electrostatic repulsion between asphaltene interfacial nanoaggregates. Our study provided new understandings of Na3Cit-asphaltene interactions at the interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyuan Feng
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada.
| | - Rogerio Manica
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Haiqing Lu
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Qingxia Liu
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada; College of New Materials and New Energies, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen 518118, PR China.
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5
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Pagán Pagán NM, Zhang Z, Nguyen TV, Marciel AB, Biswal SL. Physicochemical Characterization of Asphaltenes Using Microfluidic Analysis. Chem Rev 2022; 122:7205-7235. [PMID: 35196011 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Crude oils are complex mixtures of organic molecules, of which asphaltenes are the heaviest component. Asphaltene precipitation and deposition have been recognized to be a significant problem in oil production, transmission, and processing facilities. These macromolecular aromatics are challenging to characterize due to their heterogeneity and complex molecular structure. Microfluidic devices are able to capture key characteristics of reservoir rocks and provide new insights into the transport, reactions, and chemical interactions governing fluids used in the oil and gas industry. Understanding the microscale phenomena has led to better design of macroscale processes used by the industry. One area that has seen significant growth is in the area of chemical analysis under flowing conditions. Microfluidics and microscale analysis have advanced the understanding of complex mixtures by providing in situ imaging that can be combined with other chemical characterization methods to give details of how oil, water, and added chemicals interface with pore-scale detail. This review article aims to showcase how microfluidic devices offer new physical, chemical, and dynamic information on the behavior of asphaltenes. Specifically, asphaltene deposition and related flow assurance problems, interfacial properties and rheology, and evaluation of remediation strategies studied in microchannels and microfluidic porous media are presented. Examples of successful applications that address key asphaltene-related problems highlight the advances of microscale systems as a tool for advancing the physicochemical characterization of complex fluids for the oil and gas industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataira M Pagán Pagán
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Zhuqing Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Thao Vy Nguyen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Amanda B Marciel
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Sibani Lisa Biswal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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6
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Asphaltene behavior at the interface oil-nanofluids: Implications to adsorption. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2021.126630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Ghavidel N, Fatehi P. Interfacial and Emulsion Characteristics of Oil-Water Systems in the Presence of Polymeric Lignin Surfactant. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:3346-3358. [PMID: 33667093 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c03458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
It is hypothesized that polymeric lignin surfactants have different affinities for stabilizing oil-water emulsions and that the emulsifying performance of these surfactants is highly affected by their adsorption performance at the oil-water interface. To validate this hypothesis, the adsorption performance of sulfethylated lignin (SEKL) surfactant at different oil-water interfaces was examined by assessing the contact angle, dynamic interfacial tension, and surface loading (Γ). Moreover, the interfacial adsorption kinetics of SEKL was comprehensively assessed in different oil-water systems to reveal the mechanisms of the SEKL adsorption at the interface. Also, the impacts of SEKL concentration and ionic strength on the performance of SEKL as an effective emulsifier for the emulsions were assessed. Furthermore, the droplet size and instability index of the emulsions were systematically correlated with the adsorption performance of SEKL at the interface of oil and water. For the first time, by implementing a modified Ward Toradai diffusion model, two distinct early stages of the adsorption of SEKL at the oil interface were identified. Interestingly, the second stage was the determining stage of adsorption with the diffusion-controlled mechanism when polymers reconfigured at the oil-water interface. Salt screening facilitated the clustering of SEKL upon charge repulsion elimination, which removed the energy barrier in the first stage of adsorption (ΔEp→0 = 0), but it introduced a steric barrier upon the reconfiguration of polymers at the oil interfaces in the second stage of adsorption. In addition to the kinetics of adsorption, satisfactory correlations were observed between surface pressure (Δγ = γ∞ - γ0), surface loading (Γ) of polymers, and contact angle at oil interfaces on one hand and the oil droplet size and emulsion stability on the other hand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasim Ghavidel
- Green Processes Research Centre and Chemical Engineering Department, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B5E1, Canada
| | - Pedram Fatehi
- Green Processes Research Centre and Chemical Engineering Department, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B5E1, Canada
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8
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Ghavidel N, Fatehi P. Pickering/Non-Pickering Emulsions of Nanostructured Sulfonated Lignin Derivatives. CHEMSUSCHEM 2020; 13:4567-4578. [PMID: 32419354 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202000965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sulfoethylated lignin (SEKL) polymeric surfactant and sulfoethylated lignin nanoparticles (N-SEKL) with a size of 750±50 nm are produced by using a facile green process involving a solvent-free reaction and acidification-based fractionation. SEKL forms a liquid-like conventional emulsion with low viscosity that has temporary stability (5 h) at pH 7. However, N-SEKL forms a gel-like, motionless, and ultra-stable Pickering emulsion through a network of interactions between N-SEKL particles, which creates steric hindrance among the oil droplets at pH 3. The deposition of SEKL and N-SEKL on the oil surface is monitored by a using a quartz crystal microbalance. Experimentally, the formation of emulsions at pH 7 is found to be reversible owing to the low adsorption energy ΔE of SEKL on the oil droplet (ΔE≈15 kB T), which is determined with the help of three-phase contact-angle measurements. However, the high desorption energy (ΔE≈6.0×105 kB T) of N-SEKL makes it irreversibly adsorb on the oil droplets. SEKL is too hydrophilic to attach to the oil interface (ΔE≈0) and thus does not facilitate emulsion formation at pH 11. Therefore, it is feasible to apply SEKL for the formulation of Pickering or non-Pickering emulsions in the form of nanoparticles or polymeric surfactants, depending on the targeted application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasim Ghavidel
- Green Processes Research Centre and Chemical Engineering Department, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Pedram Fatehi
- Green Processes Research Centre and Chemical Engineering Department, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1, Canada
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, Shangdong, 250353, P.R. China
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9
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Fajardo-Rojas F, Pradilla D, Alvarez Solano OA, Samaniuk J. Probing Interfacial Structure and Dynamics of Model and Natural Asphaltenes at Fluid-Fluid Interfaces. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:7965-7979. [PMID: 32580555 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c01320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Asphaltenes are largely responsible for crude oil interfacial behavior. Due to their complex molecular nature, studying connections between interfacial properties and molecular structure is challenging, and these connections remain unclear. Several groups have reported on the interfacial behavior of asphaltenes, but a unified picture of both interfacial dynamics and thermodynamics is still missing. We seek to establish connections between asphaltene interfacial morphology and interfacial dynamics by combining interfacial dilatational deformation with microscopic structural imaging analysis. Understanding the behavior of natural asphaltene samples is made difficult by the inherent molecular variability. Therefore, we have also studied the behavior of an asphaltene model compound to draw fundamental structure-property relationships. This work contains simultaneous interfacial deformation and microscopy in systems of natural and model asphaltenes at air-water and decane-water interfaces. How the dynamics of natural asphaltenes influences the morphological and thermodynamic state of the air-water and decane-water interfaces is discussed based on the deviations observed between isotropic and anisotropic deformations. Areas where model asphaltenes can help us to understand the behavior of natural asphaltenes are identified such as its high surface pressure activity and aggregation character. An aggregation mechanism for model and natural asphaltenes is proposed based on an observed relationship between microscopic and millimetric aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Fajardo-Rojas
- Grupo de Diseño de Producto y Proceso (GDPP), Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 Este No. 18A-12, Edificio Mario Laserna, Piso 7, Bogotá 110111, Colombia
| | - Diego Pradilla
- Grupo de Diseño de Producto y Proceso (GDPP), Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 Este No. 18A-12, Edificio Mario Laserna, Piso 7, Bogotá 110111, Colombia
| | - Oscar Alberto Alvarez Solano
- Grupo de Diseño de Producto y Proceso (GDPP), Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 Este No. 18A-12, Edificio Mario Laserna, Piso 7, Bogotá 110111, Colombia
| | - Joseph Samaniuk
- Soft Matter and Interfaces Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
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Safieh P, Walls DJ, Frostad JM, Marangoni AG, Mirzaee Ghazani S, Pensini E. Effect of Toluene and Hexane Sorption on the Rheology and Interfacial Properties of Lecithin-Based Emulsion Gels. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:1484-1495. [PMID: 31944124 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b03124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A novel sorbent material consisting of a gel made from canola oil and water, emulsified with lecithin, was used to remove two model solvents from water. Sorption capacity was quantified through small-scale batch experiments. The structure and the mechanical properties of the gel were compared with and without added solvent to assess their cohesiveness upon removing contaminants from water. Confocal microscopy showed that the initial gel consisted of water droplets clustered in a canola oil continuous phase. The G' of the gels increased with solvent absorption to a maximum at 33% (v/v) hexane or 24% (v/v) toluene. Larger absorbed volumes led to decreases in G' of the gel. G' for solvent mixtures of 50% toluene and 50% hexane was intermediate between G' measured for the same volumes of pure solvents. Confocal microscopy suggests that the decrease of G' upon addition of large solvent volumes was due to a simple dilution effect. It is hypothesized that the initial increase in storage modulus was caused by changes in the structure of the lecithin films formed at the oil-water interfaces. This hypothesis was evaluated through measurements of interfacial tension, visualization of the interface with optical microscopy, force measurements of a single droplet under compression using a cantilevered-capillary force apparatus, compressional isotherm measurements conducted using a Langmuir trough. The cantilevered-capillary force apparatus and Langmuir trough experiments demonstrated that lecithin films at the canola oil-water interface were rigidified by toluene and hexane addition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Safieh
- School of Engineering , University of Guelph , 50 Stone Road East , Guelph , Ontario N1G 2W1 , Canada
| | - Daniel J Walls
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department , University of British Columbia , 2332 Main Mall , Vancouver , British Columbia V6T 1Z4 , Canada
- Food Science , University of British Columbia , 2332 Main Mall , Vancouver , British Columbia V6T 1Z4 , Canada
| | - John M Frostad
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department , University of British Columbia , 2332 Main Mall , Vancouver , British Columbia V6T 1Z4 , Canada
- Food Science , University of British Columbia , 2332 Main Mall , Vancouver , British Columbia V6T 1Z4 , Canada
| | - Alejandro G Marangoni
- Food Science Department , University of Guelph , 50 Stone Road East , Guelph , Ontario N1G 2W1 , Canada
| | - Saeed Mirzaee Ghazani
- Food Science Department , University of Guelph , 50 Stone Road East , Guelph , Ontario N1G 2W1 , Canada
| | - Erica Pensini
- School of Engineering , University of Guelph , 50 Stone Road East , Guelph , Ontario N1G 2W1 , Canada
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12
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Lamont K, Pensini E, Marangoni AG. Gelation on demand using switchable double emulsions: A potential strategy for the in situ immobilization of organic contaminants. J Colloid Interface Sci 2019; 562:470-482. [PMID: 31785939 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2019.11.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Switchable double emulsions (water in oil in water, W/O/W) are proposed for the in situ immobilization of subsurface organic contaminants such as toluene, hexane or benzene. Primary W/O emulsions were prepared by emulsifying 250 mL of 0.36 M CaCl2 aqueous solutions in 1 L of canola oil (with 12.5 g/L of ethylcellulose, EC, and 2.5 g/L of calcium stearate). In the primary W/O emulsion the water droplets in oil were ≈8 μm, as observed using an optical and a confocal microscope. EC and calcium stearate adsorbed at the oil water interface (as demonstrated by interfacial tension measurements), forming films which stabilized the W/O emulsions (as verified with bottle tests). Experiments conducted using a Langmuir trough suggest that EC and calcium stearate films did not desorb from the oil-water interface upon compression. Crumpling tests and optical microscopy observations indicate that EC and calcium stearate films were skin-like, and buckled when deformed. To obtain double W/O/W emulsions the primary emulsions were emulsified in a 0.75 wt% solution of sodium alginate, with 2 mL/L of Tween 20 and 10 g/L of NaCl. The formation of W/O/W emulsions was verified through optical microscopy and confocal microscopy observations. In the absence of the contaminants the double emulsions were stable, as observed by resting them on the bench over three days and agitating them with a multi-action wrist shaker for 30 min. Also, they had low shear elastic (G' = 2.67 ± 0.58 Pa) and viscous (G″ = 1.69 ± 0.24 Pa) moduli, which should facilitate their transport through geological media (e.g. soil) to polluted areas. Upon mixing with toluene, hexane or benzene at concentrations ranging from 5% to 17%, the double emulsions were destabilized. Emulsion destabilization caused the release of CaCl2, which crosslinked sodium alginate and formed gels in which the contaminants were incorporated. The gelation rate and the magnitude of the viscoelastic moduli depended on the contaminant type and concentration, and on the mixing time. Gelation occurred fastest with the highest toluene concentrations tested (9% to 17%), but the highest elastic moduli were measured with 9% toluene concentrations for the longest mixing times tested (90 s). Gelation occurred slowest with hexane, likely due to the poor solubility of EC in hexane. Because of their ability to gel exclusively in contaminant proximity, the double emulsions studied offer a potential strategy to control the migration of plumes of contaminants such as toluene, hexane or benzene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Lamont
- University of Guelph, School of Engineering, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Erica Pensini
- University of Guelph, School of Engineering, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Alejandro G Marangoni
- University of Guelph, Food Science Department, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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Joonaki E, Buckman J, Burgass R, Tohidi B. Water versus Asphaltenes; Liquid-Liquid and Solid-Liquid Molecular Interactions Unravel the Mechanisms behind an Improved Oil Recovery Methodology. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11369. [PMID: 31388044 PMCID: PMC6684611 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47782-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding of possible molecular interactions at liquid-liquid and solid-liquid interfaces can shed lights onto the nature's design and authorise fine manipulation aptitude in biological, manufacturing, microfluidic and oil recovery applications. Of particular interest is the capability to control the aggregation of organic and biological macromolecules, which typically poses significant challenges for oil industry and human life, respectively. Following asphaltene aggregation phenomenon through π-stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions, asphaltene aggregates can form a thin layer at the crude oil-brine interface through noncovalent interactions such as -O-H···O hydrogen bonds and/or alter the wettability state of the solid surface from initially water-wet into mixed-oil wetting. Here, we probe the impact of water with variety of salinities and ion types on formation of water in oil micro-emulsions, asphaltene deposition, and induced water wettability transition at micro scale. For the first time we investigate the influence of water in oil micro-emulsions on asphaltene aggregation and deposition phenomena at elevated pressure and temperature conditions. We also monitor the micro-wettability alterations of gold surface of the QCM owing to ion valency/concentration changes using state of the art ESEM imaging facility. Our results depict that owing to the substitution of divalent cations with monovalent ones, asphaltene deposition is repelled and the solid surface becomes more hydrophilic, proposing a generalizable strategy to control wettability and an elucidation for the profitability of so-called low salinity water flooding, an enhanced oil recovery methodology. For the biological applications, this study provides insights into the potential roles of ions and hydrogen bonds in the protein deposition in tissues and self-assembly interactions and efficiency of drugs against protein aggregation drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edris Joonaki
- Centre for Flow Assurance Research Studies (CFAR), Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK.
| | - Jim Buckman
- Centre for Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope, Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Rod Burgass
- Centre for Flow Assurance Research Studies (CFAR), Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Bahman Tohidi
- Centre for Flow Assurance Research Studies (CFAR), Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK
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14
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Interfacial properties pertinent to W/O and O/W emulsion systems prepared using polyaromatic compounds. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2019.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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15
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Chang CC, Williams I, Nowbahar A, Mansard V, Mecca J, Whitaker KA, Schmitt AK, Tucker CJ, Kalantar TH, Kuo TC, Squires TM. Effect of Ethylcellulose on the Rheology and Mechanical Heterogeneity of Asphaltene Films at the Oil-Water Interface. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:9374-9381. [PMID: 31256591 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b00834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Asphaltenes are surface-active molecules that exist naturally in crude oil. They adsorb at the water-oil interface and form viscoelastic interfacial films that stabilize emulsion droplets, making water-oil separation extremely challenging. There is, thus, a need for chemical demulsifiers to disrupt the interfacial asphaltene films, and, thereby, facilitate water-oil separation. Here, we examine ethylcellulose (EC) as a model demulsifier and measure its impact on the interfacial properties of asphaltene films using interfacial shear microrheology. When EC is mixed with an oil and asphaltene solution, it retards the interfacial stiffening that occurs between the oil phase in contact with a water phase. Moreover, EC introduces relatively weak regions within the film. When EC is introduced to a pre-existing asphaltene film, the stiffness of the films decreases abruptly and significantly. Direct visualization of interfacial dynamics further reveals that EC acts inhomogeneously, and that relatively soft regions in the initial film are seen to expand. This mechanism likely impacts emulsion destabilization and provides new insight to the process of demulsification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Cheng Chang
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of California , Santa Barbara , California 93106-5080 , United States
| | - Ian Williams
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of California , Santa Barbara , California 93106-5080 , United States
- Department of Chemistry , University College London , 20 Gordon Street , London WC1H 0AJ , U.K
| | - Arash Nowbahar
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of California , Santa Barbara , California 93106-5080 , United States
| | - Vincent Mansard
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of California , Santa Barbara , California 93106-5080 , United States
- Laboratory for Analysis and Architecture of Systems , Toulouse 31400 , France
| | - Jodi Mecca
- The Dow Chemical Company , Midland , Michigan 48674 , United States
| | | | - Adam K Schmitt
- The Dow Chemical Company , Midland , Michigan 48674 , United States
| | | | - Tom H Kalantar
- The Dow Chemical Company , Midland , Michigan 48674 , United States
| | - Tzu-Chi Kuo
- The Dow Chemical Company , Midland , Michigan 48674 , United States
| | - Todd M Squires
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of California , Santa Barbara , California 93106-5080 , United States
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16
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Accelerated spreading of inviscid droplets prompted by the yielding of strongly elastic interfacial films. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2018.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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17
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Anand V, Vashishtha M, Shown B, Patidar P, Malhotra A, Ghosh S, Jaguste S, Naik VM, Thaokar RM, Juvekar VA. Interrelationship between electrocoalescence and interfacial tension in a high acidity crude: Effect of pH and nature of alkalinity. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2018.07.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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18
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Wang Z, Lin X, Yu T, Zhou N, Zhong H, Zhu J. Formation and rupture mechanisms of visco-elastic interfacial films in polymer-stabilized emulsions. J DISPER SCI TECHNOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/01932691.2018.1478303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhihua Wang
- Key Laboratory for Enhanced Oil & Gas Recovery of the Ministry of Education, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, China
| | - Xinyu Lin
- Key Laboratory for Enhanced Oil & Gas Recovery of the Ministry of Education, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, China
| | - Tianyu Yu
- School of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, University of Western Australia, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Nan Zhou
- Key Laboratory for Enhanced Oil & Gas Recovery of the Ministry of Education, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, China
| | - Huiying Zhong
- Key Laboratory for Enhanced Oil & Gas Recovery of the Ministry of Education, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, China
| | - Jianjun Zhu
- McDougall School of Petroleum Engineering, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, USA
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19
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Demulsifier assisted film thinning and coalescence in crude oil emulsions under DC electric fields. Chem Eng Res Des 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2018.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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20
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Chang CC, Nowbahar A, Mansard V, Williams I, Mecca J, Schmitt AK, Kalantar TH, Kuo TC, Squires TM. Interfacial Rheology and Heterogeneity of Aging Asphaltene Layers at the Water-Oil Interface. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2018; 34:5409-5415. [PMID: 29685033 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Surface-active asphaltene molecules are naturally found in crude oil, causing serious problems in the petroleum industry by stabilizing emulsion drops, thus hindering the separation of water and oil. Asphaltenes can adsorb at water-oil interfaces to form viscoelastic interfacial films that retard or prevent coalescence. Here, we measure the evolving interfacial shear rheology of water-oil interfaces as asphaltenes adsorb. Generally, interfaces stiffen with time, and the response crosses over from viscous-dominated to elastic-dominated. However, significant variations in the stiffness evolution are observed in putatively identical experiments. Direct visualization of the interfacial strain field reveals significant heterogeneities within each evolving film, which appear to be an inherent feature of the asphaltene interfaces. Our results reveal the adsorption process and aged interfacial structure to be more complex than that previously described. The complexities likely impact the coalescence of asphaltene-stabilized droplets, and suggest new challenges in destabilizing crude oil emulsions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Cheng Chang
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of California , Santa Barbara , California 93106 , United States
| | - Arash Nowbahar
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of California , Santa Barbara , California 93106 , United States
| | - Vincent Mansard
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of California , Santa Barbara , California 93106 , United States
- Laboratory for Analysis and Architecture of Systems , 31031 Toulouse , France
| | - Ian Williams
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of California , Santa Barbara , California 93106 , United States
| | - Jodi Mecca
- The Dow Chemical Company , Midland , Michigan 48640 , United States
| | - Adam K Schmitt
- The Dow Chemical Company , Midland , Michigan 48640 , United States
| | - Tom H Kalantar
- The Dow Chemical Company , Midland , Michigan 48640 , United States
| | - Tzu-Chi Kuo
- The Dow Chemical Company , Midland , Michigan 48640 , United States
| | - Todd M Squires
- Department of Chemical Engineering , University of California , Santa Barbara , California 93106 , United States
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21
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Yang F, Tchoukov P, Qiao P, Ma X, Pensini E, Dabros T, Czarnecki J, Xu Z. Studying demulsification mechanisms of water-in-crude oil emulsions using a modified thin liquid film technique. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2017.12.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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22
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Du G, Peng J, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Lü J, Fang Y. One-Step Synthesis of Hydrophobic Multicompartment Organosilica Microspheres with Highly Interconnected Macro-mesopores for the Stabilization of Liquid Marbles with Excellent Catalysis. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2017; 33:5223-5235. [PMID: 28489386 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b00346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The combination of an emulsion template with polymerization is a very convenient approach to the one-step realization of both simple control porous structures via a change in emulsion formulation and easy functionalization via the concomitant choice of an on-demand monomer. A major challenge of this approach is the inherent instability of the oil/water interface in emulsions, especially the occurrence of chemical reactions in oil or aqueous phases. This study reports the pioneering preparation of highly interconnected macro-mesopores and multicompartment (HIMC) vinyl organosilica microspheres with hydrophobicity by the one-step formation of W/O/W emulsions acting as a template. The emulsion system consists of acidified deionized water, a stabilizer, and vinyltriethoxysilane (VTEO) in which VTEO can be used to produce an organosilica skeleton of the resultant microsphere by a sol-gel process. The study demonstrated that the marvelous stability of W/O/W emulsions aids the formation of multicompartment organosilica microspheres with highly interconnected macro-mesopores by emulsion droplets rather than single-compartment (SC) microspheres. Meanwhile, the internal porous structure and surface morphology of as-prepared organosilica microspheres could be largely tuned by a simple variation of the pH value, the volume fraction of the water phase, and the stabilizer concentration in the initiating multiemulsions. Benefiting from such a well-orchestrated structure and the existence of numerous vinyl groups on the surface, HIMC organosilica microspheres exhibit very high hydrophobicity (with a water contact angle larger than 160°), which allows them to stabilize liquid marbles with excellent stability and high mechanical robustness. Because of its strong catalyst, Ag nanoparticles within HIMC organosilica microspheres enable Ag/HIMC-vinyl organosilica microsphere-based liquid marbles to be an efficient catalytic microreactor, realizing the complete degradation of MB to leuco methylene blue by NaBH4 in 10 min. The result of this work could provide some guidance for the easy, low-cost, benign preparation of HIMC microspheres having the potential to be excellent supporter of metal nanoparticles or other functionalized compounds for applications in sensing, optoelectronics, and catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanqun Du
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University , Xi'an 710119, P. R. China
| | - Junxia Peng
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University , Xi'an 710119, P. R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University , Xi'an 710119, P. R. China
| | - Hongxia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University , Xi'an 710119, P. R. China
| | - Jieli Lü
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University , Xi'an 710119, P. R. China
| | - Yu Fang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University , Xi'an 710119, P. R. China
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23
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The properties of asphaltene at the oil-water interface: A molecular dynamics simulation. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2016.11.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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24
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Pradilla D, Subramanian S, Simon S, Sjöblom J, Beurroies I, Denoyel R. Microcalorimetry Study of the Adsorption of Asphaltenes and Asphaltene Model Compounds at the Liquid-Solid Surface. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2016; 32:7294-7305. [PMID: 27348137 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b00816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The adsorption of an acidic polyaromatic asphaltene model compound (C5PeC11) and indigenous C6-asphaltenes onto the liquid-solid surface is studied. Model compound C5PeC11 exhibits a similar type of adsorption with a plateau adsorbed amount as C6-asphaltenes onto three surfaces (silica, calcite, and stainless steel). Model compound BisAC11, with aliphatic end groups and no acidic functionality, does not adsorb at the liquid-silica surface, indicating the importance of polar interactions on adsorption. The values of the adsorption enthalpy characterized by the ΔHz parameter (the enthalpy at zero coverage) indicate that the type of adsorption and the driving force depend on the surface, a key feature when discussing asphaltene deposition. The adsorption of C5PeC11 onto silica is shown to be driven primarily by H bonding (ΔHz = -34.9 kJ/mol), unlike adsorption onto calcite where polar van der Waals and acidic/basic interactions are thought to be predominant (ΔHz = -23.5 kJ/mol). Interactions between C5PeC11 and stainless steel are found to be weak (ΔHz = -7.7 kJ/mol). Comparing C6-asphaltenes and their esterified counterpart shows that adsorption at the liquid-solid surface is not influenced by the formation of H bonds. This was evidenced by the similar adsorbed amounts obtained. Finally, C5PeC11 captures, to a certain extent, the adsorption interactions of asphaltenes present at the calcite-oil and stainless steel-oil surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Pradilla
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) , NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sreedhar Subramanian
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) , NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sébastien Simon
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) , NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Johan Sjöblom
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) , NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Isabelle Beurroies
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, MADIREL UMR 7246, 13397 Marseille cedex 20, France
| | - Renaud Denoyel
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, MADIREL UMR 7246, 13397 Marseille cedex 20, France
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25
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Sjöblom J, Dagsgård C, Simon S, Sørland G, Hana M. Influence of HPAM on W/O emulsion separation properties. J DISPER SCI TECHNOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/01932691.2016.1154864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Johan Sjöblom
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Camilla Dagsgård
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sébastien Simon
- Ugelstad Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Morten Hana
- AS Norske Shell, Shell Technology Norway, Oslo, Norway
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