11/11/2023 0 Comments Demulsification examples![]() If the volume of both phases are the same, other factors would be considered to recognize the dispersed and continuous phases. The phase that has smaller volume is usually identified as the dispersed phase and the larger one is the continuous phase. This review is organized into a few sections, including emulsion formation mechanisms and types, chemical demulsification system and ionic liquids application, the effects of influential parameters (concentration, cation type, and the structure of ionic liquids, anion types, molecular weight, salinity, temperature, and oil types), as well as challenges and opportunities for future applications.Įmulsion is produced when two or more immiscible liquids mix vigorously together which results in two phases (a dispersed phase and a continuous phase). In this study, a review on the application of ionic liquids for demulsification was conducted, and the impacting parameters on the demulsification performance were discussed to identify challenges and opportunities for future applications. There is a need for a comprehensive discussion of current ionic liquids demulsification method to identify its advantages and limitations. Ionic liquids have been used by different researchers to evaluate their efficiency in demulsification processes, mostly at the laboratory scales. These properties make ionic liquids a suitable substitute for organic solvents and commercial demulsifiers. They are associated with unique characteristics such as thermal stability, non-flammability, recyclability, and low vapor pressure. ![]() Ionic liquids are produced by a combination of different organic cations and organic or inorganic anions. Many research studies have been conducted for the application of ionic liquids in chemical demulsification processes, and it was reported that ionic liquids are reliable demulsifiers with high stability, even under harsh conditions (high temperature and high salinity). Chemical demulsification using various demulsifiers is one of the reliable methods which has been widely used in industries for breaking emulsions. ![]() There are several technologies that have been used for separating oil and water, such as various physical (e.g., gravitational settling, thermal treatment, membrane separation, flotation, ultrasonic), biological (bioaugmentation, biostimulation), and chemical (e.g., solidifiers, demulsifiers, sorbents) processes. ![]() However, the presence of emulsion in oily wastewater essentially requires a demulsification for its effective treatment. Strict limitations are regulated for discharging oily wastewater (e.g., based on USEPA, oil and grease discharge limits are 29 mg/L monthly average and 42 mg/L daily maximum) which induce industries to efficiently treat their oily wastewater. The oil spill cleanup usually involves the collection of a large volume of oily wastewater for treatment. Discharging produced oily wastewater from oil and gas industries and the spill of oil through ship accidents and offshore wells (e.g., Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon) into waters cause adverse consequences to the environment, human health, and the economy. It increases the viscosity of oil, which leads to the increment of pumping and transporting costs, and the emulsion also reduces the quality of oil. It may result in the corrosion of pumps, pipes, and related facilities. The presence of emulsion in oil or in water has undesired consequences for industries and the environment. It can be concluded that ionic liquids can be used as a suitable substitute for commercial demulsifiers, but future efforts should be required to develop non-toxic and less expensive ionic liquids with low viscosity, and the demulsification efficiency could be improved through the application of ionic liquids with other methods such as organic solvents. Moreover, other factors, including the salinity of aqueous phase, temperature, and oil types, could affect the demulsification process. The review indicted that the demulsification performance was affected by the type, molecular weight, and concentration of ionic liquids. Future challenges and opportunities of ionic liquids application for chemical demulsification were also discussed. In this study, emulsion formation and types, chemical demulsification system, the application of ionic liquids as a chemical demulsifier, and key factors affecting their performance were comprehensively reviewed. In recent years, ionic liquids have received increasing interests as an effective demulsifier due to their characteristics of non-flammability, thermal stability, recyclability, and low vapor pressure.
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