Quantifying the spontaneous emulsification of a heavy hydrocarbon with the presence of a strong surfactant

Abstract

The rate of spontaneous emulsification phenomenon of heavy hydrocarbon in a non-ionic surfactant solution was studied experimentally. The size of a diminishing oil droplet was monitored photographically with the presence of an electrolyte. The obtained data were analysed using Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA) software to measure the flux of emulsion droplets formed spontaneously. In contrast to all previous reports, a stable layer confined between the oil and aqueous solution was observed with a relatively constant thickness, ∼ 100 µm. The result shows that the rate of emulsification is reduced with the presence of electrolytes and is inversely correlated to its concentration. Considerable variation of the influence of electrolyte type on the kinetic of the spontaneous emulsification process for a given condition has been observed. Consequently, a new diffusion-control mechanism has been proposed, creating an extendable model to describe the process theoretically. The experimental data of emulsifying hexadecane in Triton X-100 micellar solution with the presence of potassium chloride and sodium chloride was well fitted to the proposed model. The results have important implications for surfactant-based cleaning processes.