Study on demulsification and deoiling for O/W emulsion by microbubble pretreated resin.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions pose challenges in industrial wastewater treatment.
• Effective demulsification and deoiling are crucial for environmental protection and resource recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the demulsification and deoiling performance of microbubble pretreated resin for O/W emulsions.
• To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of demulsification facilitated by the modified resin.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of resin pretreated with microbubbles.
• Systematic investigation of demulsification and deoiling performance and influencing factors.
• Analysis of demulsification mechanisms using zeta potential, surface tension, and contact angle measurements.

Main Results:

• Microbubble pretreated resin achieved 97% oil removal within 80 minutes, outperforming NaOH soaked (90%) and un-pretreated resins (85%).
• The pretreated resin demonstrated stable performance, maintaining over 70% oil removal after five cycles.
• Three demulsification pathways were identified: competitive surfactant trapping, surfactant distribution equilibrium, and adsorption coalescence.

Conclusions:

• Microbubble pretreatment significantly enhances resin performance for O/W emulsion demulsification and deoiling.
• The study provides insights into the demulsification mechanism, involving surfactant interactions with the resin.
• The findings suggest a promising and reusable adsorbent for industrial wastewater treatment.