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Surfactants on oil/water interface studied by modified Scheludko-cell

IWRA World Water Congress 2017 - Cancun Mexico
5. Water ecosystems and physical regimes
Author(s): Maryam Razi
Behnam Sadri
Mohtada Sadrzadeh
Thomas Thundat

Maryam Razi
University of Alberta
mrazi@ualberta.ca
Behnam Sadri
Purdue University
sadri@ualberta.ca
Mohtada Sadrzadeh
University of Alberta
sadrzade@ualberta.ca
Thomas Thundat
University of Alberta
thundat@ualberta.ca


Keyword(s): Oil/Water interface, Produced water (PW), Oil/Water separation, Thin liquid films (TLF), modified Scheludko-cell, Sodium dodecyl sulfate, Surfactants, Electrical detection technique, 3D printed cell,
Article: PDFPoster: PDF

Abstract

Interfacial properties of oil/water system plays an important role in designing environmentally sustainable bitumen recovery techniques, whether it is bitumen films in emulsions occurring in oil sands extractions techniques or bitumen droplets present in oil sands process-affected water (OSPW).  This is due to the occurrence of these stable emulsions that there is such an urgent need to find more environmentally sustainable techniques and methods to break such emulsions. The occurrence of these emulsions is not advantageous due to the problem they cause in oil transportation or catalytic poisoning owing to their sticky natures. Therefore, there is always a need to find efficient and reliable methods and techniques to resolve these emulsions. Considering the type of emulsion which can be formed by two liquids, whether it is water in oil (W/O), oil in water (O/W) or oil in water in oil (O/W/O) multiple emulsions, the presence of surfactants is a necessity for emulsion stabilization. Thin liquid films (TLF) dynamics is the cornerstone of emulsion stability. In this regard, we did a systematic study of TLF of n-dodecane as oil phase in surfactant solutions. A novel 3D-printed modified Scheludko-cell (MSC) has been employed due to its simplicity and the feasibility of gaining concurrent optical responses during the experiment. An electrical modelling treatment for O/W interface has been done using resistors in series. Current vs voltage curve for the system composed of different SDS in milli-Q water as aqueous phase and n-dodecane as oil phase (TLF phase) has been obtained using the 3D-printed modified Scheludko-cell. In the first section of this study, the formation of TLF of oil phase and its effect on electrical conductivity of TLF has been studied. In the second section of this work, we examined the effects of surfactants adsorption dynamics on TLF electrical behavior. Effect of different surfactant concentration on TLF conductivity (S/m) has been monitored and it was concluded that by increasing surfactant concentration, the TLF conductivity (S/m) has been increased. Adsorption dynamics of SDS surfactants at Oil/Water interface has been studied using the 3D-printed modified Scheludko-cell. Dynamics of TLF conductivity has been monitored and it was concluded that the TLF conductivity was increasing for 0.1 wt% SDS concentration in water phase. Dynamic interfacial tension (IFT, mN/m) of 0.1 wt% SDS solution as aqueous phase and n-dodecane as oil phase was measured experimentally and the adsorption time-scale was comparable to the study done by 3D-printed modified Scheludko-cell. The results of this study can usher in a better quantification of interfacial film properties, thereby paving the way for a controllable O/W separation and thereby water treatment techniques. 

 

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