Study on optimum parameters of high content paraffin wax microemulsion

Abstract

As a by-product of crude oil processing, paraffin wax has high economic potential to be converted into microemulsion for various applications. Herein, paraffin wax microemulsion was prepared by emulsion inversion point (EIP) method in the presence of non-ionic surfactants. The focus of the study is to determine optimum preparation parameters for obtaining stable microemulsion. The initial results showed that paraffin wax microemulsion can be prepared when hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value was 10 with a wax composition of 40 wt%. This HLB value is used as a reference for obtaining stable microemulsion by varying emulsification temperature and time. Emulsion stability was determined by observing phase change for 60 days, which then was quantized using particle size analyzer. The morphology of the microemulsion droplets was observed using optical microscope. The droplets showed a bright spot under polarized light owing to its solid phase in room temperature. Stable microemulsion with particle size average diameter of about 290.6 nm could be formed at emulsification temperature of 80 °C and emulsification time of 40 minutes.