Oil/Water Mixtures and Emulsions Separation Methods—An Overview

Abstract

Catastrophic oil spill accidents, oily industrial wastewater, and other types of uncontrolled release of oils into the environment are major global issues since they threaten marine ecosystems and lead to a big economic impact. It can also affect the public health of communities near the polluted area. This review addresses the different types of oil collecting methods. The focus of this work will be on the different approaches to materials and technologies for oil/water separation, with a special focus on water/oil emulsion separation. Emulsified oil/water mixtures are extremely stable dispersions being, therefore, more difficult to separate as the size of the droplets in the emulsion decreases. Oil-absorbent materials, such as sponges, foams, nanoparticles, and aerogels, can be adjusted to have both hydrophobic and oleophilic wettability while displaying a porous structure. This can be advantageous for targeting oil spills in large-scale environmental and catastrophic sets since these materials can easily absorb oil. Oil adsorbent materials, for example, meshes, textiles, membranes, and clays, involve the capture of the oily material to the surface of the adsorbent material, additionally attracting more attention than other technologies by being low-cost and easy to manufacture.

Flexible, durable, and anti-fouling maghemite copper oxide nanocomposite-based membrane with ultra-high flux and efficiency for oil-in-water emulsions separation

“…Oil-in-water emulsion separation is a significant and growing challenge in various industries, encompassing sectors like oil, gas, and food production. The primary driver behind this challenge is the escalating concern over water pollution and the diminishing availability of freshwater resources (Dhandhi et al 2022 ; Tian et al 2022 ; José et al 2023 ). Conventional methods for separating oil from water in emulsions often face critical limitations, including low separation efficiency and inadequate durability.…”