Green Approach to the Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Mesh Surface for Oil/Water Separation

We report a simple and environment friendly method to fabricate superhydrophobic metallic mesh surfaces for oil/water separation. The obtained mesh surface exhibits superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity after it was dried in an oven at 200 °C for 10 min. A rough silver layer is formed on the mesh surface after immersion, and the spontaneous adsorption of airborne carbon contaminants on the silver surface lower the surface free energy of the mesh. No low‐surface‐energy reagents and/or volatile organic solvents are used. In addition, we demonstrate that by using the mesh box, oils can be separated and collected from the surface of water repeatedly, and that high separation efficiencies of larger than 92 % are retained for various oils. Moreover, the superhydrophobic mesh also possesses excellent corrosion resistance and thermal stability. Hence, these superhydrophobic meshes might be good candidates for the practical separation of oil from the surface of water.     

Janus Copper Mesh Film with Unidirectional Water Transportation Ability toward High Efficiency Oil/Water Separation

Inspired by the special asymmetric wettability and controllable permeation function of cell membranes, we report a Janus nanostructured copper mesh film with unidirectional water transportation ability. Water can permeate from the hydrophobic side to the hydrophilic side, but is retained in the opposite direction. Notably, based on this special unidirectional water permeation property, both heavy oil/water mixtures (ρ _oil>ρ _water) and light oil/water mixtures (ρ _oil<ρ _water) can be separated. Additionally, the film demonstrates high separation efficiency and good recyclability. This paper reports a new Janus film that achieved highly efficient oil/water separation based on smart control of the wettability of the film. It is believed to have the potential to be used in many practical applications, such as wastewater treatment and oil‐spill cleanup.     

Cleanup of Water Surface from Oil Spills Using Natural Sorbent Materials

The following indicators were used to compare sorption efficiency of the test objects: oil capacity (OC), buoyancy, solubility of hydrocarbons in water, and water absorption (WA). Hereby, it was determined that the peat moss carbonized at the temperature of 200-250°С and modified by acetic acid has high sorption capacity. The sorbents introduced can increase the efficiency of water surface cleaning up until the water is almost clean and the residual oil content in water is less than 0.03 g/l.     

Oil/Water Separation with Selective Superantiwetting/Superwetting Surface Materials

The separation of oil from oily water is an important pursuit because of increasing worldwide oil pollution. Separation by the use of materials with selective oil/water absorption is a relatively recent area of development, yet highly promising. Owing to their selective superantiwetting/superwetting properties towards water and oil, superhydrophobic/superoleophilic surfaces and underwater superoleophobic surfaces have been developed for the separation of oil/water‐free mixtures and emulsions. In this Review, after a short introduction to oil/water separation, we describe the principles of materials with selective oil/water absorption and outline recent advances in oil/water separation with superwetting/superantiwetting materials, including their design, their fabrication, and models of experimental setups. Finally, we discuss the current state of this new field and point out the remaining problems and future challenges.     

Effect of Surfactant Concentration and Operating Temperature on the Drop Size Distribution of Silicon Oil Water Dispersion

The effect of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLES) surfactant and the operating temperature on the drop size distribution of a 350 cSt Dow Corning 200 series oil water dispersion was successfully studied. The dispersion was prepared in a standard 6 litres mixing tank at different impeller speeds. A measurement of the SLES critical micelle concentration (CMC) at 25°C was carried out. The interfacial tension of silicon oil water under various SLES concentration at a temperature range of 25 to 80°C was accomplished. Results showed that the interfacial tension of the silicon oil water decreased as the operating temperature increased and as the surfactant concentration increased. When the operating temperature was increased at the highest SLES concentration tested, a decrease of d ₃₂ was observed. This was attributed to the possibility of hydration of the surfactant at high temperature. Same behavior was observed when measuring the drop size distribution at constant temperature but different SLES concentration. It was found that the mean drop size decreases with mixing time. Different slopes of the change of the median drop size with time were obtained for different SLES concentration. For the same concentration, the slope changes after 1 hour. The degree change of the slope is due to the change of interfacial area of the oil water as mixing time elapsed and the depletion of the surfactant concentration.     

水溶性硅油对超临界CO_2介质中丙烯酸聚合反应的影响

：通过对水溶性硅油浓度的改变，研究其对超临界CO2介质中丙烯酸聚合反应的影响。研究表明水溶性硅油可起到分子量调节剂的作用。随着硅油的加入，产物分子量降低，但当硅油浓度过大时，由于硅油在超临界CO2中溶解度的限制，夹带单体聚沉在反应釜底部形成富单体相，分子量有所上升。此外，扫描电镜照片（SEM）显示不同浓度的水溶性硅油对聚丙烯酸分子形态的影响不同，硅油含量越大，聚丙烯酸分子粒径越小，分子量分布越均匀。     

Nonlinear Behavior and Domain Feature at Oil／Water Interface

Studies on nonlinear behavior at oil/water interface membrane were performed. This system showed rhythmic oscillations and chaos of electrical potential in a given concentration domain. The nonlinear behavior response at the liquid membrane apparently resembled that of biological chemoreceptive membrane. The possibility of developing a new type of chemical sensor with the ability to simulate substance equilibrium in living organisms was suggested in the paper.     

Experimental study of the relative effect of pressure drop and flow rate on the droplet size downstream of a pipe restriction

An experimental setup consisting of a 100?mm inner diameter pipeline, a butterfly valve with inner diameter of 100?mm, and oil and water pumping capacities of up to 20?m³/h were used to study droplet breakup in two-phase oil–water flow. The tests were performed at atmospheric pressure and under ambient temperatures. A particle-sizing camera was used to quantify droplet sizes. Combinations of different flow rates, water cuts, and pressure drops were tested to determine the relative effects of flow rate and pressure drop over a valve on the droplet breakup process. The test matrix was designed so that it should be possible to determine if the droplet sizes produced were independent of the flow rate. The fluid system consisted of a water phase and a mineral oil with viscosity of 4?mPa?·?s. Two different droplet breakup models were compared against the measured droplet sizes. The two models considered turbulence and droplet acceleration through the restriction respectively as the main contributor for droplet breakup.     

受限空间内油水界面动态特性及粘附行为的荧光原位观测

水污染作为润滑油污染的常见形式,对润滑油本身以及机械系统都有巨大的危害。为了模拟实际非均匀多相系统中的界面行为,本文搭建了高精度点接触实验台来研究传统的不溶相替换问题。将目前静态平行受限空间内油水界面行为的研究推广到动态点接触楔形受限空间内,探究了游离水滴穿过点接触狭缝间毛细油池过程中的界面特性。重点关注固壁润湿性以及固壁的分离运动对整个侵入过程中液滴动态行为的影响。实验发现了铺展系数是决定油水界面融合和分离特性的关键因素,揭示了固壁润湿性和球盘间的相对分离运动会影响游离水滴穿过毛细油池之后的粘附行为。表面张力和液体与壁面之间的粘附功能够解释观测的实验现象。     

凹槽状PDMS基底上水滴的挥发及Cassie-Wenzel转变行为

通过在线跟踪水滴在凹槽状聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)基底上的挥发行为, 研究了蒸馏水的挥发规律Cassie-Wenzel转变行为. 结果表明, 初始阶段, 水滴处于Cassie状态, 且在垂直于凹槽方向(V)和平行于凹槽方向(P)上存在显著的各向异性. 水滴的挥发过程依次表现出接触直径不变模式、 接触角不变模式及共同减小模式, 与平滑基底上水滴的挥发规律类似. 在挥发过程中, 发生了Cassie-Wenzel转变, 转变发生的时间与PDMS基底上突起部分的面积分数(即固相率)呈现良好的线性关系. 随着挥发的进行, 水滴的各向异性在接触角不变模式阶段消失, 即挥发导致水滴从开始的椭球缺状变为球缺状.     

Single Oil Drop Electrochemistry on a Screen‐Printed Electrode Surface

The use of a contaminated single oil drop on a screen‐printed carbon electrode is described for the first time here. The simple methodology developed herein opens the possibility of conducting such measurements. R‐(+)‐limonene oil, some samples of which were contaminated with 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP), was used as the oil phase, and Britton? Robinson (BR) buffer was used as the aqueous phase. An oxidation peak at approximately 0.8 V vs. Ag was obtained when the system comprised an oil/water interface. The charge transfer resistance decreased by a factor of approximately 7.1 when an interfacial system composed of two immiscible liquids was used as an electrochemical tool.     

Dissipative Particle Dynamics Study of Interfacial Properties and the Effects of Nonionic Surfactants on Hydrocarbon/Water Microemulsions

The aim of this work was to apply dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) mesoscopic simulations to study the interfacial orientation and the effect of the nonionic surfactant, hexaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₆), on different (oil (dodecane)/water) microemulsion systems. The Hildebrand-solubility-parameter model and Flory–Huggins/Hansen-solubility-parameter (FH/HSP) model were combined to evaluate the DPD interaction parameter (a_ij) where the solubility parameters (δ_i) as DPD input parameters were preliminary validated by all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) results and experimental data. The interfacial property dependence of dodecane/water/C₁₂E₆ system on the oil/water (o/w) ratio and on the concentration of surfactant and orientation at the interface were investigated. It was found that the surfactant addition reduced the IFT of o/w interfaces and this reduction was more efficient for water-in-oil microemulsions (o/w ≤ 1).     

Continuous In Situ Oil Recovery From Oil/Water Mixture with Natural Kapok Fiber and External Pumping

An oil recovery system composed of an oil capture module packed kapok fibers and a vacuum pump was developed for continuous oil recovery from artificial oil/water (O/W) mixture. The mechanism of porous hydrophobic–oleophilic kapok fiber layer (KFL) for O/W separation was analyzed, and a physical model for continuous oil recovery process was established. The oil recovery performance, which was evaluated by oil recovery rate (ORR, %) and oil enrichment rate (OER, %), depended on turbulence intensity of O/W mixture, driving pressure, KFL porosity and thickness, initial oil content of O/W mixture, and oil viscosity. Owing to the well oil selectivity of kapok, the oil content of the permeate was above 95.0% when the initial oil content of the O/W mixture was between 6.0% and 8.0%. The system was capable of collecting low viscosity oil efficiently.     

取样量对润滑油中微量水分检测结果的影响

研究取样量对润滑油中微量水分测定结果的影响。基于卡尔·费休滴定法,在选定的测量条件下,用发生电极为有隔膜的自动库仑水分仪对基础油、有机热载体油、压缩机油、膨胀机油等新油和发动机油、汽轮机油、涡轮机油、压缩机油、齿轮油、液压油、导热油、船用油、电器绝缘油、风动工具油、金属加工油等在用油在0.1~2.0 g内各取9组不同质量的样品进行测定,得到了润滑油中微量水分准确测定所需的取样量。实验结果表明,新油取样量大于1.0 g,在用油取样量在1.0~1.5 g范围内,可以准确测定润滑油中微量水分含量。测定结果的相对标准偏差为0.83%~3.51%(n=10),样品加标回收率为95.0%~103.0%。在选择的取样量下,该方法具有良好的精密度、准确度,可连续测定多个样品,满足测定需求。     

超亲水超疏油油水分离膜的制备及其性能

超亲水-超疏油油水分离膜是一种过水隔油的特殊分离膜,在处理海洋溢油污染、环境含油废水时具有保持分离膜不被油污染的优势,有十分重要的实际意义。为了掌握近年来超亲水超疏油分离膜的发展动态,本文首先以液体静压力与毛细作用力为基础阐述亲水疏油膜的油水分离机理;然后分类概括超亲水-超疏油金属基底网膜、刺激响应油水分离膜、无基底聚合物膜材料的制备及各项性能的研究新进展;最后总结目前在该领域仍存在的问题并进行展望。     

A Superamphiphobic Coating with an Ammonia‐Triggered Transition to Superhydrophilic and Superoleophobic for Oil–Water Separation

Superhydrophilic and superoleophobic materials are very attractive for efficient and cost‐effective oil–water separation, but also very challenging to prepare. Reported herein is a new superamphiphobic coating that turns superhydrophilic and superoleophobic upon ammonia exposure. The coating is prepared from a mixture of silica nanoparticles and heptadecafluorononanoic acid‐modified TiO₂ sol by a facile dip‐coating method. Commonly used materials, including polyester fabric and polyurethane sponge, modified with this coating show unusual capabilities for controllable filtration of an oil–water mixture and selective removal of water from bulk oil. We anticipate that this novel coating may lead to the development of advanced oil–water separation techniques.     

Crude Oil Distillation with Superheated Water Steam: Parametrical Sensitivity and Optimization

Stability of crude oil distillation units was analyzed with mathematical models developed using Aspen Hysys. Parametrical sensitivities of light fractions yields, heat duties and steam load of column trays to perturbations of superheated steam flow rate were estimated. Objective function based on the light products yields and energy consumption for distillation was formed. The maxima of the objective function were calculated depending on operational parameters and flow rate of water steam.     

Water Diffusion and Transport in Oil Paints as Studied by Unilateral NMR and 1H High-Resolution MAS-NMR Spectroscopy

Heavy metal carboxylate degradation severely affects thousands of oil paintings. Relative humidity has been reported to accelerate the rate of the reactions. To evaluate its role further, water diffusion and molecular mobility of protons in linseed oil-based lead white paints were studied by unilateral NMR and ¹H HRMAS spectroscopy. The results indicate that exposure to high %RH for relatively long times affects the dynamics of the oil paint's mobile fraction and that the effect is more pronounced as the thickness of the film increases. It was found that the paint can absorb appreciable amounts of water and has a porosity of approximately 6 % available for the diffusion of water, for which a regime of restricted diffusion was observed. Furthermore, the presence of bound and free-moving water, due to the possible formation of hydrated ionic-group clusters, supports the hypothesis of a polymeric/ionomeric network, as well as regions of essentially water free to move as in the bulk. The findings allow a better understanding of the role of water as a factor activating the degradation process in linseed oil-based lead white paints.