Novel emulsions stabilized by pH and temperature sensitive microgels

Surfactant-free oil-in-water emulsions prepared with temperature and pH sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)(PNIPAM) microgel particles offer unprecedented control of emulsion stability.     

Emulsion Inversion in an Oil‐Surfactant‐Water System Based on Model Naphthenic Acids under Alkaline Conditions

Emulsion inversion has been studied in a system based on oil (toluene/heptane), 5β‐cholanic acid, and an alkaline brine solution by varying the concentration of sodium hydroxide. At an intermediate pH w/o emulsions were formed, and in the high pH region o/w emulsions were formed. Emulsion inversion occurred in the pH range 8.5–10. The w/o emulsions were consistently more stable compared to the o/w emulsions. Increasing the amount of acid enhanced the stability of the emulsions. Maximum stability was observed close to pH 8, where the ratio between the undissociated and dissociated acid was approximately 1.5. From light microscopy, it can be seen that the emulsions are stabilized by a liquid gel phase. At equilibrium the system consists of an oil phase, a liquid gel phase, and an aqueous phase. Increasing the oil fraction eventually gave only w/o emulsions in the pH range between 7 and 14. For these emulsions, no obvious difference in stability was observed at pH 8, while the stability of the emulsions in the high pH region was significantly enhanced. An increase of the ratio between toluene and heptane gave no obvious difference in either stability or type of emulsion while varying the pH. Use of a less lipophilic acid, such as 4‐octylbenzoic acid, gave very unstable w/o emulsions in the intermediate pH region, while stable o/w emulsions were found in the high pH region.     

FLOW PROPERTIES OF WEATHERED CRUDE OILS AND THEIR EMULSIONS

The present paper proposes the emulsification of weathered crude oils in water as a competitive and cost effective method for reducing their viscosities. Weathered crude oil samples were collected from major Kuwaiti oil lakes. Emulsion preparation involved using, either a nonionic surfactant or alkali, as well as both alkali and fatty acid. The obtained emulsions were characterized by measuring the droplet size distribution of the dispersed phase using optical microscopy. Emulsion stability was also examined in terms of the system breakdown. The rheological properties were measured using a concentric cylinder rotary rheometer. The emulsion rheological behavior has been studied as a function of composition, temperature, and shear rate. A constitutive model was developed to characterize the pseudoplastic behavior of the crude oil and the emulsion systems. The model fitted well the experimental results with a correlation coefficient higher than 95%. Associated with the pseudoplastic behavior, viscoelastic behavior has been observed with emulsions and some oils at high shear rates.

The results of this investigation indicated that the examined weathered crude oils can be transported through pipelines as emulsions of up to 80 vol.% oil concentrations. The proposed method of treatment with NaOH and oleic acid offers several advantages over the surfactant treatment. It exhibited comparable rheological behavior at lower cost and less mixing energy. It also provided higher emulsion stability, which favors oil transportation for longer distances.     

Emulsions stabilized by stimuli-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-co-methacrylic acid polymers: microgels versus low molecular weight polymers

Responsive polymer microgels can be employed for the preparation of stimuli-sensitive emulsions. The microgels used in this study are based on cross-linked copolymers including N-isopropylacrylamide and methacrylic acid. We conducted the synthesis under acidic and basic conditions to investigate the effect of changes of comonomer solubility on the microgel's composition and ability to stabilize emulsions. The synthesis product was partially divided into two fractions by centrifugation. Raw product, collected supernatant, and purified microgel were characterized by means of light scattering, titration, as well as electrophoretic mobility. The ability of the three components to act as stabilizers was investigated by preparing the octanol/water emulsions and looking at their response to pH and temperature changes. The interfacial activity of the three components was characterized by means of the pendent drop technique. Furthermore, we investigated the response of the interface to dilatational stress using a pendant drop tensiometer equipped with an oscillating drop module. The results demonstrate that the pH during synthesis has a significant impact on the composition and thus the properties of the microgel and its ability to be utilized as a stimuli responsive stabilizer for emulsions. We conclude that microgels can be used as stimuli-sensitive stabilizers for emulsions, if the charges are incorporated in the microgel itself.     

Effect of varying the oil phase on the behavior of pH-responsive latex-based emulsifiers: demulsification versus transitional phase inversion

Sterically stabilized polystyrene latexes (previously described by Amalvy, J. I.; et al. Chem. Commun. 2003, 1826) were evaluated as pH-responsive particulate emulsifiers for the preparation of both oil-in-water and water-in-oil emulsions. The steric stabilizer was a well-defined AB diblock copolymer where A is poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) and B is poly(methyl methacrylate). Several parameters were varied during the emulsion preparation, including the polarity of the oil phase, the latex concentration, surface concentration of copolymer stabilizer, and solution pH. Nonpolar oils such as n-dodecane gave oil-in-water emulsions, and polar oils such as 1-undecanol produced water-in-oil emulsions. In both cases, these emulsions proved to be stimulus-responsive: demulsification occurred rapidly on adjusting the solution pH. Oils of intermediate polarity such as methyl myristate or cineole led to emulsions that underwent transitional inversion on adjusting the solution pH. All emulsions were polydisperse and typically ranged from 40 to 400 microm diameter, as judged by optical microscopy and Malvern Mastersizer measurements. Critical point drying of the emulsion droplets, followed by scanning electron microscopy studies, confirmed that the latex particles were adsorbed as a single monolayer at the oil/water interface, as anticipated.     

Emulsion stabilization and inversion using a pH- and temperature-sensitive amphiphilic copolymer

We describe how a versatile amphiphilic diblock copolymer can form oil-in-water (o/w) or water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions depending on pH and temperature. At high pH and temperature, this copolymer is mostly hydrophobic and forms w/o emulsions. Its spontaneous curvature is greatly increased upon pH and/or temperature lowering (due to protonation and/or hydration, respectively), which allows the formation of o/w emulsions. Conductivity measurements and confocal fluorescence micrographs evidence the two kinds of structures obtained over a wide range of pH and temperature. We also show how the emulsion type can be reversibly switched along a temperature scan under stirring. The lower stability of the w/o emulsions as compared to the o/w ones is attributed to a lack of electrostatic repulsion. The importance of the copolymer architecture and conformation with regards to droplet stability is discussed.     

High internal phase emulsions: catastrophic phase inversion, stability, and triggered destabilization

We have investigated the formation, drop sizes, and stability of emulsions prepared by hand shaking in a closed vessel in which the emulsion is in contact with a single type of surface during its formation. The emulsions undergo catastrophic phase inversion from oil-in-water (o/w) to water-in-oil (w/o) as the oil volume fraction is increased. We find that the oil volume fraction required for catastrophic inversion exhibits a linear correlation with the oil-water-solid surface contact angle. W/o high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) prepared in this way contain water drops of diameters in the range 10-100 μm; emulsion drop size depends on the surfactant concentration and method of preparation. W/o HIPEs with large water drops show water separation but w/o HIPEs with small water drops are stable with respect to water separation for more than 100 days. The destabilization of the w/o HIPEs can be triggered by either evaporation of the oil continuous phase or by contact the emulsion with a solid surface of the "wrong" wettability.     

Further Investigation into the Stability of Water-in-Crude Oil Emulsions Formed in Burgan Oilfield: Effect of Toluene,Resins to Asphaltenes Ratio,and Surfactant

Factors controlling the formation and stabilization of water-in-crude oil (w/o) emulsions in oil fields are of great concern to the petroleum industry for the economic development of underground oil reservoirs. Controlling and minimizing the formation of w/o emulsions and demulsification of water from emulsions are also important for environmental development. Because of its importance, the mechanisms, formation, and stability of w/o emulsions have received considerable attention. This article deals with some of the factors responsible for the formation and stabilization of w/o emulsions formed in Burgan oil field in Kuwait. Some of the factors investigated in this study are the naturally occurred surface active components of crude oils such as asphaltenes and resins. Stability of emulsion samples with resins to asphaltenes ratio (R/A) contents of 3, 5, 9, 12, and 20 has been studied. It was found that Emulsion tightness is correlated with resins to asphaltene content of the sample. As the R/content increases the emulsion becomes unstable. The effect of additives such as toluene and dodecyle benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) on the stability of various emulsion samples collected from oil field are also reported. A 2 wt% of DBSA was found to resolve all the water from emulsion samples collected from Burgan oilfield.     

Interfacial layers of stimuli-responsive poly-(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-methacrylicacid) (PNIPAM-co-MAA) microgels characterized by interfacial rheology and compression isotherms

Stimuli-sensitive emulsions stabilized by microgel particles consisting of poly-(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-methacrylicacid) (PNIPAM-co-MAA) and being responsive to both pH and temperature have been investigated with respect to the visco-elastic properties of the interfacial layer. Properties of the interfacial layer were probed by means of shear and dilatational rheology as well as by compression isotherms and are related to the microgel packing at the interface as visualized by cryogenic scanning electron microscopy. The corresponding pH dependent emulsion stability is strongly correlated with the visco-elastic properties of the microgel covered oil-water interface. At high pH when the microgels are charged, a structure of partially interconnected microgels is found that provides elastic, soft gel-like interfaces. At low pH, however, the uncharged microgels are densely packed and the interface is rather brittle. Obviously, these pH dependent visco-elastic properties of the microgel layer at the oil-water interface play a determining role in the stability of emulsion droplets and allow us to prepare very stable emulsions when the microgels are charged and to break the emulsion by changing the pH.     

Double inversion of emulsions induced by salt concentration

The effects of salt on emulsions containing sorbitan oleate (Span 80) and Laponite particles were investigated. Surprisingly, a novel double phase inversion was induced by simply changing the salt concentration. At fixed concentration of Laponite particles in the aqueous phase and surfactant in paraffin oil, emulsions are oil in water (o/w) when the concentration of NaCl is lower than 5 mM. Emulsions of water in oil (w/o) are obtained when the NaCl concentration is between 5 and 20 mM. Then the emulsions invert to o/w when the salt concentration is higher than 50 mM. In this process, different emulsifiers dominate the composition of the interfacial layer, and the emulsion type is correspondingly controlled. When the salt concentration is low in the aqueous dispersion of Laponite, the particles are discrete and can move to the interface freely. Therefore, the emulsions are stabilized by particles and surfactant, and the type is o/w as particles are in domination. At intermediate salt concentrations, the aqueous dispersions of Laponite are gel-like, the viscosity is high, and the transition of the particles from the aqueous phase to the interface is inhibited. The emulsions are stabilized mainly by lipophilic surfactant, and w/o emulsions are obtained. For high salt concentration, flocculation occurs and the viscosity of the dispersion is reduced; thus, the adsorption of particles is promoted and the type of emulsions inverts to o/w. Laser-induced fluorescent confocal micrographs and cryo transmission electron microscopy clearly confirm the adsorption of Laponite particles on the surface of o/w emulsion droplets, whereas the accumulation of particles at the w/o emulsion droplet surfaces was not observed. This mechanism is also supported by the results of rheology and interfacial tension measurements.     

High‐Internal‐Phase Pickering Emulsions Stabilized Solely by Peanut‐Protein‐Isolate Microgel Particles with Multiple Potential Applications

High‐internal‐phase Pickering emulsions have various applications in materials science. However, the biocompatibility and biodegradability of inorganic or synthetic stabilizers limit their applications. Herein, we describe high‐internal‐phase Pickering emulsions with 87 % edible oil or 88 % n‐hexane in water stabilized by peanut‐protein‐isolate microgel particles. These dispersed phase fractions are the highest in all known food‐grade Pickering emulsions. The protein‐based microgel particles are in different aggregate states depending on the pH value. The emulsions can be utilized for multiple potential applications simply by changing the internal‐phase composition. A substitute for partially hydrogenated vegetable oils is obtained when the internal phase is an edible oil. If the internal phase is n‐hexane, the emulsion can be used as a template to produce porous materials, which are advantageous for tissue engineering.     

Effects of pH and salt concentration on oil-in-water emulsions stabilized solely by nanocomposite microgel particles

Aqueous dispersions of lightly cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridine)/silica nanocomposite microgel particles are used as a sole emulsifier of methyl myristate and water (1:1 by volume) at various pH values and salt concentrations at 20 degrees C. These particles become swollen at low pH with the hydrodynamic diameter increasing from 250 nm at pH 8.8 to 630 nm at pH 2.7. For batch emulsions prepared at pH 3.4, oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions are formed that are stable to coalescence but exhibit creaming. Below pH 3.3, however, these emulsions are very unstable to coalescence and rapid phase separation occurs just after homogenization (pH-dependent). The pH for 50% ionization of the pyridine groups in the particles in the bulk (pK(a)) was determined to be 3.4 by acid titration measurements of the aqueous dispersion. Thus, the charged swollen particles no longer adsorb at the oil-water interface. For continuous emulsions (prepared at high pH with the pH then decreased abruptly or progressively), demulsification takes place rapidly below pH 3.3, implying that particles adsorbed at the oil-water interface can become charged (protonated) and detached from the interface in situ (pH-responsive). Furthermore, at a fixed pH of 4.0, addition of sodium chloride to the aqueous dispersion increases the degree of ionization of the particles and batch emulsions are significantly unstable to coalescence at a salt concentration of 0.24 mol kg(-1). The degree of ionization of such microgel particles is a critical factor in controlling the coalescence stability of o/w emulsions stabilized by them.     

Ca2+ Responsive Microgel-Stabilized Pickering Emulsions

As an ionic cross-linker that can change the size of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) microgel, Ca²⁺ is applied as a trigger to demulsify microgel-stabilized oil/water Pickering emulsions. The influence of Ca²⁺ induced intra-particle ionic cross-linking and inter-particle aggregation on the stability of microgel-stablized “Pickering” emulsion is described. At low and mediate concentration of Ca²⁺, ionic cross-linking can change the internal elasticity of the microgel, and cause the coarsening of the oil droplets. At high concentration of Ca²⁺, microgels flocculate due to the salt out effect and the emulsion is destabilized. This work provide a facile method to control the stability of the Pickering emulsions at ambient condition.     

Small-angle neutron scattering study of temperature-induced emulsion gelation: the role of sticky microgel particles

In this work, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) is used to probe the structural transformations that accompany temperature-induced gelation of emulsions stabilized by a temperature-responsive polymer. The latter is poly(NIPAM-co-PEGMa) (N-isopropylacrylamide and poly(ethyleneglycol) methacrylate) and contains 86 mol% NIPAM. Turbidity measurements revealed that poly(NIPAM-co-PEGMa) has a lower critical solution temperature (T(LCST)) of 36.5 degrees C in D(2)O. Aqueous polymer solutions were used to prepare perfluorodecalin-in-water emulsions (average droplet size of 6.9 mum). These emulsions formed gels at 50 degrees C. SANS measurements were performed on the poly(NIPAM-co-PEGMa) solutions and emulsions as a function of temperature. The emulsion was also prepared using a D2O/H2O mixture containing 72 vol% D2O in order to make scattering from the droplets negligible (on-contrast). The SANS data were analyzed using a combination of Porod and Ornstein-Zernike form factors. The results showed that the correlation length (xi) of the polymer scaled as xi approximately phi(p)(-0.68) at 32 degrees C, where phi(p) is the polymer volume fraction. The xi value increased for all systems as the temperature increased, which was attributed to a spinodal transition. At temperatures greater than T(LCST), the polymer solution changed to a polymer dispersion of poly(NIPAM-co-PEGMa) aggregates. The aggregates have features that are similar to microgel particles. The average size of these particles was estimated as 160-170 nm. The particles are "sticky" and are gel-forming. The on-contrast experiments performed using the emulsion indicated that the interfacial polymer chains condensed to give a relatively thick polymer layer at the perfluorodecalin-water interface at 50 degrees C. The gelled emulsions appear to consist of perfluorodecalin droplets with an encapsulating layer of collapsed polymer to which sticky microgel particles are adsorbed. The latter act as a "glue" between coated droplets in the emulsion gel.     

Stimulus-responsive particulate emulsifiers based on lightly cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridine)-silica nanocomposite microgels

Lightly cross-linked poly(4-vinylpyridine)-silica nanocomposite microgel particles have been recently reported to act as pH-responsive particulate emulsifiers [Fujii, S.; Read, E. S.; Armes, S. P.; Binks, B. P. Adv. Mater. 2005, 17, 1014]. In this work, the synthesis and performance of such nanocomposite microgel particles are studied in more detail. Scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, nitrogen microanalyses, thermogravimetric analysis, aqueous electrophoresis, and acid-base titration were used to characterize the nanocomposites in terms of their particle size and morphology, polymer and silica contents, surface compositions, and critical swelling pH, respectively. Depending on the polarity of the oil phase and the purity of the nanocomposite particles, either oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsions could be prepared at pH 8-9, but not at pH 2-3. These emulsions were characterized in terms of their emulsion type, mean droplet diameter, and morphology using electrical conductivity, light diffraction, and both electron and optical microscopy. In some cases, rapid demulsification could be induced by lowering the solution pH: addition of acid led to protonation of the 4-vinylpyridine residues, which imparted cationic microgel character to the nanocomposite particles. Cross-linking of the nanocomposite microgel particles is essential for their optimum performance as a pH-responsive emulsifier, but unfortunately it is not sufficient to allow recycling.     

Factors affecting the loading efficiency of water-soluble drugs in PLGA microspheres

Poly(lactide-co-glycolide), PLGA, microspheres containing blue dextran as a hydrophilic model drug were prepared by a solvent evaporation method from w/o/w emulsions using a micro homogenizer. Effects of surfactant concentration in oil phase, stirring time period and stirring rate in the preparation procedure of primary emulsion (w/o) upon drug-loading efficiency were evaluated. Stirring rate during preparation of primary emulsion and surfactant concentration in oil phase affected drug-loading efficiency and the particle size of primary emulsion. Microspheres having the higher drug-loading efficiency were obtained when size differences between the primary emulsions and the secondary ones were large. That is, when the diameter of the primary emulsion is much smaller than that of the secondary emulsion, PLGA microspheres with high-loading efficiency of blue dextran were obtained.     

Simple, reversible emulsion system switched by pH on the basis of chitosan without any hydrophobic modification

Chitosan without hydrophobic modification is not a good emulsifier itself. However, it has a pH-tunable sol-gel transition due to free amino groups along its backbone. In the present work, a simple reversible Pickering emulsion system based on the pH-tunable sol-gel transition of chitosan was developed. At pH > 6.0, as adjusted by NaOH, chitosan was insoluble in water. Chitosan nanoparticles or micrometer-sized floccular precipitates were formed in situ. These chitosan aggregates could adsorb at the interface of oil and water to stabilize the o/w emulsions, so-called Pickering emulsions. At pH < 6.0, as adjusted by HCl, chitosan was soluble in water. Demulsification happened. Four organic solvents (liquid paraffin, n-hexane, toluene, and dichloromethane) were chosen as the oil phase. Reversible emulsions were formed for all four oils. Chitosan-based Pickering emulsions could undergo five cycles of emulsification-demulsification with only a slight increase in the emulsion droplet size. They also had good long-term stability for more than 2 months. Herein, we give an example of chitosan without any hydrophobic modification to act as an effective emulsifier for various oil-water systems. From the results, we have determined that natural polymers with a stimulus-responsive sol-gel transition should be a good particulate emulsifier. The method for in situ formation of pH-responsive Pickering emulsions based on chitosan will open up a new route to the preparation of a wide range of reversible emulsions.     

A novel formulation of the pickering emulsion stabilized with silica nanoparticles and its thermal resistance at high temperatures

Stabilization of emulsions with solid particles can be used in several fields of oil and gas industry because of their higher stability. Solid particles should be amphiphilic to be able to make Pickering emulsions. This goal is achieved by using surfactants at low concentrations. Oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions are usually stabilized by surfactant but show poor thermal stability. This problem limits their applications at high-temperature conditions. In this study, a novel formulation for o/w stabilized emulsion by using silica nanoparticles and the nonionic surfactant is investigated for the formulation of thermally stable Pickering emulsion. The experiments performed on this Pickering emulsion formula showed higher thermal stability than conventional emulsions. The optimum wettability was found for DME surfactant and silica nanoparticles, consequently, in that region; Pickering emulsion showed the highest stability. Rheological changes were evaluated versus variation in surfactant concentration, silica concentration and pH. Scanning electron microscopy images approved the existence of a rigid layer of nanoparticle at the oil-water interface. Finally, the results show this type of emulsion remains stable in harsh conditions and allows the system to reach its optimum rheology without adding any further additives.     

Symmetric and asymmetric adsorption of pH-responsive gold nanoparticles onto microgel particles and dispersion characterisation

The interaction between carboxylic acid-stabilised gold nanoparticles (AuNP) and pH-responsive microgels is shown. The microgel particles are a copolymer of N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]methacrylamide (DMAPMA) and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM). The microgel properties are presented by their hydrodynamic diameter and electrophoretic mobility in response to pH. These microgel particles are pH-responsive under neutral conditions decreasing in diameter beyond pH 7. The dispersion characteristics of AuNP adsorbed onto the microgel network are shown with respect to adsorbed amount and the pH-responsive properties of the AuNP. This data is presented between pH 3 and 6 where the microgel properties remain constant. Asymmetric adsorption of AuNP onto poly(DMAPMA-co-NIPAM) microgels is achieved by adsorption of nanoparticles, from the aqueous phase, onto microgel-stabilised oil-in-water emulsions. These asymmetrically modified microgels display very different dispersion behaviour, in response to pH, due to their dipolar nature.     

Fabrication of macroporous foam and microspheres of polystyrene by Pickering emulsion polymerization

Poly(styrene-co-methacrylic acid) (PS-co-MAA) particles were synthesized via surfactant-free emulsion polymerization and then used as particulate emulsifiers for preparation of Pickering emulsions. Our results showed that adjusting the solution pH can tune the wettability of PS-co-MAA particles to stabilize either water-in-oil (W/O) or oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsions. Stable W/O emulsions were obtained with PS-co-MAA particles at low pH values due to their better affinity to the dispersed oil phase. In contrast, increasing the pH value significantly changed the stabilizing behavior of the PS-co-MAA particles, leading to the phase inversion and formation of stable O/W emulsions. We found that the oil/water ratio had a significant influence on pH value of the phase inversion. It decreased with decreasing the oil/water ratio, and no phase inversion occurred when the styrene volume fraction reduced to 10 %. Additionally, macroporous polystyrene (PS) foam and PS microspheres were obtained via polymerization of Pickering high internal phase emulsion (Pickering HIPE) and O/W Pickering emulsion, respectively.