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Separation of oil impurities from oil in water emulsions enhance by modified surface of silica filters

Krzysztof Perkowski ,  Mikołaj Szafran ,  Janusz Sokołowski 

Warsaw University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Noakowskiego 3, Warszawa 00-664, Poland

Abstract

The main aim of the present studies was to develop a method for production of porous ceramic materials capable of separating oil contaminants from highly dispersed oil/water emulsions containing organic particles having dimensions of the order of 1 mm. The pore size of ceramic filtration discs should be at least 100 times as large as the diameter of organic particles separated. The process of separation of oil-water emulsions will be realized in a system with closed liquid flow circuit. The treatment of emulsions will involve the use of ultrasonic waves for increasing the concentration of oil phase in the permeate. Porous ceramic filters used in the process were subjected to modifications aiming at an increase of filtration surface affinity to the oil phase, as well at initiation of local coagulation of oil particles at the filter surface.
Measurements of zeta potential of oil-water emulsion have shown univocally that they are featured by negative electrokinetic potential throughout the whole pH range. Separations of highly dispersed o/w emulsions are carried out in alkaline solutions of pH 8-10. For this reason the filtration discs should have a positive electrokinetic potential that would neutralize the surface charge of oil particles. That would reduce the electrostatic repulsion forces between organic particles thus enabling the coagulation process. It appeared, however, that electrokinetic potential of the sinter of a blend of silicon dioxide with addition of a high temperature binder is negative at pH region 8-10. For obtaining positive values of zeta potential it is necessary to deposit of NiO, MgO or CuO films on quartz sand filtration discs after sintering can shift the electrokinetic potential toward positive values. Literature data show that certain oxides such as NiO or MgO have positive zeta potential in the pH range 8-10.

The work was sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in the frame of grants No. 1 T09B 058 30 and N508 008 32/0581

 

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Related papers

Presentation: Poster at E-MRS Fall Meeting 2008, Symposium I, by Krzysztof Perkowski
See On-line Journal of E-MRS Fall Meeting 2008

Submitted: 2008-05-12 22:00
Revised:   2009-06-07 00:48