Highly magnetic latexes from submicrometer oil in water ferrofluid emulsions

The synthesis of functionalized submicrometer magnetic latex particles is described as obtained from a preformed magnetic emulsion composed of organic ferrofluid droplets dispersed in water. Composite (polystyrene/γ‐Fe₂O₃) particles were prepared according to a two‐step procedure including the swelling of ferrofluid droplets with styrene and a crosslinking agent (divinyl benzene) followed by seeded emulsion polymerization with either an oil‐soluble [2,2′‐azobis(2‐isobutyronitrile)] or water‐soluble (potassium persulfate) initiator. Depending on the polymerization conditions, various particle morphologies were obtained, ranging from asymmetric structures, for which the polymer phase was separated from the inorganic magnetic phase, to regular core–shell morphologies showing a homogeneous encapsulation of the magnetic pigment by a crosslinked polymeric shell. The magnetic latexes were extensively characterized to determine their colloidal and magnetic properties. The desired core–shell structure was efficiently achieved with a given styrene/divinyl benzene ratio, potassium persulfate as the initiator, and an amphiphilic functional copolymer as the ferrofluid droplet stabilizer. Under these conditions, ferrofluid droplets were successfully turned into superparamagnetic polystyrene latex particles, about 200 nm in size, containing a large amount of iron oxide (60 wt %) and bearing carboxylic surface charges. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2642–2656, 2006     

Separation of oil content from oily cuttings in CO2-responsive switch water

“Switch water” (SW) is an aqueous solution of switchable ionic strength trigger by CO₂. In this article, three tertiary amino alcohols were chosen to build CO₂-responsive SW. An ingenious recyclable SW–diesel oil emulsion system was built to separate oily content from oily cuttings. The separation rate of diesel oil from emulsion almost reached 100% after CO₂ treatment under appropriate conditions. Recycling of SW was easily done by N₂ treatment. Compared with the traditional methods, CO₂-responsive SW which is energy saving, pollution free, and efficient has all the qualifications to become a mainstream treatment in the near future.     

Surfactant-free cellulose filaments stabilized oil in water emulsions

Cellulose - There has been significant interest over recent years in the production and application of sustainable and green materials. Among these, nanocellulose has incurred great interest...     

Spreading of oil from protein stabilised emulsions at air/water interfaces

Spreading of a drop of an emulsion made with milk proteins on air/water interfaces was studied. From an unheated emulsion, all oil molecules could spread onto the air/water interface, indicating that the protein layers around the oil globules in the emulsion droplet were not coherent enough to withstand the forces involved in spreading. Heat treatment (90 °C) of emulsions made with whey protein concentrate (WPC) or skim milk powder reduced the spreadability, probably because polymerisation of whey protein at the oil/water interface increased the coherence of the protein layer. Heat treatment of emulsions made with WPC and monoglycerides did not reduce spreadability, presumably because the presence of the monoglycerides at the oil/water interface prevented a substantial increase of coherence of the protein layer. Heat treatment of caseinate-stabilised emulsions had no effect on the spreadability. If proteins were already present at the air/water interface, oil did not spread if the surface tension (γ) was <60 mN/m. We introduced a new method to measure the rate at which oil molecules spread from the oil globules in the emulsion droplet by monitoring changes in γ at various positions in a ‘trough’. The spreading rates observed for the various systems agree very well with the values predicted by the theory. Spreading from oil globules in a drop of emulsion was faster than spreading from a single oil drop, possibly due to the greater surface tension gradient between the oil globule and the air/water interface or to the increased oil surface area. Heat treatment of an emulsion made with WPC did not affect the spreading rate. The method was not suitable for measuring the spreading rate at interfaces where surface active material is already present, because changes in γ then were caused by compression of the interfacial layer rather than by the spreading oil.     

Interfacial cross-linking polymerisation process in oil/water emulsions

Summary We have studied the effect on the water-oil interfacial tension of a series of diacrylate molecules solubilized in the oil phase. Due to the weak tensio-active behaviour of these compounds, we have verified that the oil in water emulsions of this system were unstable. We have shown that these emulsions can be stabilized by polymerisation of the diacrylic molecules and that this process is essentially a surface cross-linking polymerisation.

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Zusammenfassung Es wurde der Einfluß einer Reihe von Diacrylaten, die in der Ölphase solubilisiert waren, auf die WasserÖl-Grenzflächenspannung untersucht. Es konnte nachgewiesen werden, daß die Öl-in-Wasser-Emulsionen instabil sind, was der geringen Grenzflächenaktivität dieser Systeme entspricht. Es wurde weiter gezeigt, daß diese Emulsionen stabilisiert werden können durch Polymerisation der Diacrylate. Dieser Prozeß ist eine Oberflächen-Vernetzungs-Polymerisation.

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Work partially supported by D. R. M. E. under contract number 73.34.099.

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With 1 figure and 4 tables