Development and evaluation of oil in water nanoemulsions based on polyether silicone as demulsifier and antifoam agents for petroleum

Abstract

Oil in water (o/w) nanoemulsions were synthesized in order to be evaluated as an alternative to petroleum emulsions destabilization processes and inhibition of foam formed in the crude oil. The nanoemulsions were prepared by the high energy method through High Pressure Homogenizer (HPH), utilizing poly(propylene glycol) (PPG) and xylene solvent as oil phase and different polarity polyether silicone surfactants samples. These nanoemulsions were evaluated in respect to their efficiency in the petroleum demulsification process. The results of these tests showed that nanoemulsions performance on the destabilization of petroleum emulsions is influenced by the utilized surfactant's polarity. The nanoemulsions and pure samples of PPG and xylene solvent were evaluated concerning capacity of formed foam inhibition in petroleum (antifoam test), and the results showed no significant influence of samples on foam stability. Petroleum/saline water added interfacial tension measurements, added or not the nanoemulsions were executed and showed that the additives adsorption in the interface is related to the surfactant's polarity and nanoemulsion drop size.

Spontaneous Emulsification of Nifedipine-Loaded Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System

“…However, the increase in droplet size was less affected by NDP loading in formulation containing P35. It is possibly due to the less interfacial tension of P35 (42.0 mN/m), compared with that of P40 (44.0 mN/m) (28,29). SNEDDS without and with drug were examined under transmission electron microscope (Fig.…”

Evaluation of nanoemulsions based on silicone polyethers for demulsification of asphaltene model emulsions

“…Searching for new systems, recently our group has carried out studies, involving development of stable oil‐in‐water (O/W) nanoemulsions that are efficient in phase separation of O/W emulsions. These systems contained nonionic surfactants based on polyoxides, at concentrations from 10 to 20 wt % of the total mixture, along with low oil masses used in the process of forming nanoemulsions (5 to 15 wt %), with the remainder composed of water (65–85 wt %).…”

“…Fraga and collaborators prepared O/W nanoemulsions based on silicone polyethers using a high‐pressure homogenizer that remained stable for at least one month (the period of the experiment), with size distribution in the range of 10–100 nm. They verified that these systems were effective in destabilizing petroleum emulsions, with gravitational water separation efficiency of 70–90%, depending on the composition of the particular nanoemulsion.…”

“…The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of O/W nanoemulsions prepared in a previous experiment as demulsifiers in asphaltene model systems and to relate the results with the interference of these nanoemulsions in the aggregation state of the asphaltenes, to note whether or not they facilitate adsorption of the molecules present in the nanoemulsion systems at the water‐asphaltene solution interface.…”

Regeneration of spent polymer resins in oily water treatment systems by application of nanoemulsion

“…O/W nanoemulsions have promising characteristics for use as regenerating fluids of these new ultrafiltration materials, as the small size of their droplets, and hence the low viscosity, permits great mobility and easy penetration in macro and mesopores. Besides these features, they can be produced with sufficiently low oil phase content, such as an organic solvent that has a solubility parameter near that of the oil targeted for removal from the adsorbent material …”