Compound Cleaning Agent for Oily Sludge from Experiments and Molecular Simulations.

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Oily sludge poses environmental challenges, necessitating effective cleaning solutions.
• Current methods for oily sludge treatment often lack efficiency and sustainability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a novel compound cleaning agent for oily sludge.
• To investigate the interfacial formation energy (IFE) and adsorption mechanisms of the cleaning agent.
• To determine optimal working conditions for effective oily sludge removal.

Main Methods:

• Screening of 24 surfactants from five categories.
• Optimization using an orthogonal system.
• Molecular dynamics simulation to analyze interface binding energy.
• Single-factor experiments to determine optimal working conditions.

Main Results:

• Identified sodium silicate, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, and fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene ether (JFC-SF) as key components.
• Optimal mass ratio of 3:1:1 achieved 93.53% oil removal efficiency and 2.13% oil residual rate.
• Maximum interface binding energy of 465.71 kcal/mol confirmed at the optimal ratio.
• Determined optimal working conditions: 4% agent content, 70°C, 400 rpm, 30 min, L/S of 4:1.

Conclusions:

• The developed compound cleaning agent demonstrates high efficiency in oily sludge removal.
• The study provides a foundation for the resource utilization and reduction of oily sludge.
• The findings are particularly relevant for oily sludge management in the Liaohe oilfield.