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Updated: Jul 26, 2025
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Water in Oil Emulsions: A New System for Assembling Water-soluble Chlorophyll-binding Proteins with Hydrophobic Pigments
Published on: March 21, 2016
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Oil-Water Emulsion Flocculation through Chitosan Desolubilization Driven by pH Variation
Leonardo Lamanna1, Gabriele Giacoia2, Marco Friuli1
1Department of Engineering for Innovation, Campus Ecotekne, University of Salento, Via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
ACS Omega
|June 19, 2023
Summary
Chitosan effectively removes oil from water, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional methods. This natural coagulant works by trapping oil emulsions, proving eco-friendly for water remediation.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Green Chemistry
- Water Treatment
Background:
- Water pollution from industrial processes, like vegetable oil production, creates challenging oil/water emulsions.
- Conventional treatment methods using aluminum salts produce hazardous waste, necessitating eco-friendly alternatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate commercial chitosan as a biodegradable coagulant for vegetable oil emulsions.
- To assess chitosan's efficacy under varying surfactant types and pH conditions.
Main Methods:
- Testing commercial chitosan's coagulation performance on stable oil/water emulsions.
- Investigating the influence of anionic, cationic, and nonpolar surfactants on chitosan efficacy.
- Analyzing the impact of different pH levels on the treatment process.
Main Results:
- Chitosan demonstrated effectiveness at low concentrations (300 ppm) for oil removal.
- The flocculation mechanism involves polymer desolubilization, forming a net to entrap oil.
- Chitosan exhibited reusability, indicating a cost-effective application.
Conclusions:
- Commercial chitosan is a potent, natural coagulant for treating oil-contaminated water.
- Chitosan offers a sustainable and ecofriendly alternative to conventional chemical coagulants.
- The study supports chitosan's application in wastewater remediation, particularly for oil emulsions.
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