Enhanced removal of nano-oil droplets utilizing polysilicate aluminum ferric (PSAF): Leveraging bridging and...

Hydraulic oil leaks during mechanical maintenance, resulting in flushing wastewater contaminated with dispersed nano-oil droplets. In this study, 75 mg L^-1 of polysilicate aluminum ferric (PSAF) was stirred at 350 rpm and the optimal chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was 71%. The increase of PSAF led to more hydrolysis of Fe, and 1,175 cm^-1 hydroxyl bridged with negative oil droplets. At the same molar concentration, PSAF hydrolyzes cationic metals more rapidly than polymeric aluminum chloride (PAC). PSAF forms flocs of smaller complex structures with greater bridging. The Al-O and Si-O peaks occurred at 611 and 1,138 cm^-1, indicating the formation of Si-O-Fe and Si-O-Al bonds on the flocs surface. Higher stirring speeds did not change the free energy of the flocs surface γ^Tot, mainly because the decrease in the van der Waals force (γ^LW) offset the increase of Lewis acid-base force (γ^AB). Preserving the non-polar surface, in summary, owing to its bridging abilities and affinity for non-polar surfaces, PSAF demonstrates superior efficiency over PAC in capturing and removing oil droplets.