Alkyl Polyglucoside Research Articles

The role of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon particles in green enhanced oil recovery (GEOR) for Arabian crude oil in sandstone core

Green enhanced oil recovery (GEOR) is a chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) involving the injection of specific green chemicals (surfactants/alcohols/polymers) that effectively displace oil because of their phase-behaviour properties, which decrease the IFT between the displacing liquid and the oil. Carbon nanoparticles application in EOR has sparked interest in the last few years due to its unique characteristics. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the common carbon nanomaterials with EOR potential, but they are not used with green surfactant to improve oil recovery. In addition, the recently developed Date Leaf Carbon Particle (DLCP) method has not been applied to GEOR and requires further study. The role of carbon particles in GEOR is not well understood and requires further investigation. This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of DLCP and CNT in green surfactant alkyl polyglucoside (APG) for recovering residual oil within rock pores. The study consisted of a set of laboratory experiments. Two formulations of DLCP, CNT and green surfactant mixtures were selected for core-flood experiments based on interfacial tension measurements to examine their potential for EOR. In the first formulation, 0.08% DLCP was mixed with 0.5% APG and produced 45% of tertiary oil and 89% of oil initially in place (OIIP). This formulation produced a significant quantity of incremental oil after water flooding. Lastly, 0.5% APG was blended with 0.08% CNT; this produced about 27% tertiary oil and 77% OIIP.

A framework for modelling emerging processes’ upscaling from an environmental perspective

Abstract Upscaling emerging processes is a very uncertain topic due to the lack of information about the impacts of their dissemination in the industrial system and the environment. However, anticipating potential environmental impacts of novel technologies appears to be essential to reach sustainability. In this context, a framework was created in order to help give an insight of these impacts from an early stage, using laboratory data. This article begins with a literature review about upscaling in chemical engineering and Life Cycle Assessment. A framework was then proposed for the upscaling of emerging processes, using laboratory data to anticipate the impacts. A case study is presented in a third section to illustrate the application and results obtainable with the framework to the manufacturing of the surfactant, Alkyl Polyglycosides. Finally, limits and perspectives about this approach are given as conclusions.

BASF increases production capacity for alkyl polyglucosides in China

BASF increases production capacity for alkyl polyglucosides in China

Oil-In-Water Microemulsions for Thymol Solubilization

Essential oil compounds (EOCs) are molecules with well-known antimicrobial and antipest activity. However, such molecules possess limited solubility in water, making their handling difficult. This work aimed to enhance the distribution of a solid essential oil compound, thymol, using oil-in-water (o/w) microemulsions for its solubilization. The use of mixtures formed by an alkyl polyglucoside (APG) and soybean lecithin (SL) allowed for stabilization of the o/w microemulsions in a broad range of compositions, with the total concentration of the mixture of the two surfactants (APG+SL) and the APG:SL ratio both being essential for controlling the nature of the obtained dispersions. The microemulsions obtained using oleic acid as the oil phase and with compositions far from those corresponding to the onset of the emulsion region showed a good efficiency for thymol solubilization. This is an advantage from a stability point of view, as well as for ease of thymol preparation. The present work opens new alternatives for designing eco-sustainable formulations for EOC solubilization, with the possibility of preparing the formulations at the place of use, thereby saving transport costs and reducing the emission of pollutants.

The role of biodegradable surfactant in microbial enhanced oil recovery

Many aerobic microorganisms can produce bio-surfactants which are capable of effectively reducing interfacial tensions between oil, water and rock. However, there are few publications on the production of bio-surfactants from anaerobic organisms. The combined effect of bio-surfactant, green surfactant and alcohol in the MEOR process, are not well understood yet and require further investigation. This experimental study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of combination of two microbial by-products, bio-surfactant and bio-alcohol, in recovering residual oil within the pores of rock. It also considered whether bio-surfactant capability could be improved by blending it with non-ionic green surfactant. Two formulations of surfactant and co-surfactant mixtures were selected for core-flood experiments based on phase behaviour study and IFT reduction to examine their potential for enhanced oil recovery. In the first formulation, JF-2 bio-surfactant was mixed with butanol; it was found that this formulation did not produce a significant quantity of incremental oil after water flooding. Lastly, a bio-surfactant (anionic) was blended with non-ionic green surfactant alkyl polyglucoside and butanol; this produced about 25% tertiary oil and 64% OIIP.

Effect of alkyl polyglycosides on the performance of thermophilic bacteria pretreatment for saline waste sludge hydrolysis

In this study, alkyl polyglycosides (APG) was used to further accelerate the hydrolysis of saline waste sludge with thermophilic bacteria (TB) pretreatment. In the presence of 0.4 g/g TSS APG, the concentrations of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), soluble carbohydrate and soluble protein in dissolved organic matters (DOM) were 0.4, 2.4 and 1.3 times of that without APG addition, respectively. Excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that the addition of APG led to the increase of soluble microbial materials and the decrease of fulvic acid-like substances in DOM, which was beneficial for the subsequent process of anaerobic digestion. Using APG promoted the releasing of enzymes trapped in saline waste sludge and improved the activity of enzymes during hydrolysis. The activities of α-glucosidase and protease increased by 8.8% and 21.3% respectively in the presence of 0.4 g/g TSS APG comparing no APG addition.

Effect of molecular structure of eco-friendly glycolipid biosurfactants on the adsorption of hair-care conditioning polymers

Pseudo-binary mixtures of different glycolipids, four different rhamnolipids (RL) and an alkyl polyglucoside (APG), with poly(diallyl-dimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) have been studied in relation to their adsorption onto negatively charged surfaces to shed light on the impact of the molecular structure of surfactants from natural sources (instead of synthetic surfactant, such as sodium laureth sulfate) on the adsorption of hair-conditioning polymers. For this purpose, the self-assembly of such mixtures in aqueous solution and their adsorption onto negatively charged surfaces mimicking the negative charge of damaged hair fibres have been studied combining experiments and self-consistent field (SCF) calculations. The results show that the specific physico-chemical properties of the surfactants (charge, number of sugar rings present in surfactant structure and length of the hydrocarbon length) play a main role in the control of the adsorption process, with the adsorption efficiency and hydration being improved in relation to conventional sulfate-based systems for mixtures of PDADMAC and glycolipids with the shortest alkyl chains. SCF calculations and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis on real hair confirmed such observations. The results allow one to assume that the characteristic of the surfactants, especially rhamnolipids, conditions positively the adsorption potential of polyelectrolytes in these model systems. This study provides important insights on the mechanisms underlying the performance of more complex but eco-friendly washing formulations.

Understanding the synergistic effect of alkyl polyglucoside and potassium stannate as advanced hybrid corrosion inhibitor for alkaline aluminum-air battery

An advanced hybrid corrosion inhibitor consisting of alkyl polyglucoside (APG) and potassium stannate (K2SnO3) is proposed to suppress the self-discharge corrosion of the Al anode in an alkaline Al-air battery. The results show that the hydrogen evolution rate with the optimum hybrid inhibitor is significantly decreased from 0.735 ml cm−2 min−1(blank) to 0.043 ml cm−2 min−1 (corresponding to the inhibition efficiency of 94.14%). The discharge mass specific capacity of the full cell with hybrid inhibitor reaches to 2180 mAh g−1, approximately 2.5 times as much as the one with no additive (840 mAh g−1). The significantly reduced hydrogen evolution can be attributed to the synergistic effect of stannate and APG, that is, the hydrophobic segment of APG can regulate the reduction of stannate in the solution system leading to the more uniform and firmer deposition of Sn on the surface of the Al anode. This work can shed some lights on clarifying the corrosion inhibition mechanism of corrosion inhibitors in alkaline Al-air batteries and exploring advanced corrosion inhibitors.

Structures and Properties of Sophorolipids in Dependence of Microbial Strain, Lipid Substrate and Post-Modification

Abstract Starmerella bombicola and Candida kuoi are known to secrete structurally divergent sophorolipid type glycolipids (SLs) under nitrogen limitation. In the present work SLs were produced in titers of 3.9–78.6 g L−1 with the two yeast strains utilizing stearic, oleic and linoleic acid as substrates. HPLC-ELSD combined with HPLC-MS and NMR spectroscopy was used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the SL mixtures. While S. bombicola almost exclusively produced lactonic diacetylated SLs with a preference for subterminal fatty acid hydroxylation, C. kuoi synthesized diacetylated, terminally hydroxylated open chain SLs with up to 25% of dimeric and trimeric products. Surface tension measurements showed a higher surface and interface activity of the lactonic products from S. bombicola in comparison to open chain C. kuoi based SLs. The lowest CMC of 5.4 mg L−1 and minimum surface tension at the CMC of 35.9 mN m−1 were obtained for the stearic acid based lactones. Similar tendencies were observed in interfacial tension analysis with 3.6 mN m−1 for oleic acid based lactonic SLs at the interface water/paraffin oil in comparison to 9.4 mN m−1 for the corresponding open-chain SL. The acidic C. kuoi SL mixtures directly exhibited foaming properties whereas the S. bombicola SLs needed alkaline deacetylation and ring opening to display foaming comparable to that of the structurally related alkyl polyglycosides.

Alkyl polyglucoside-based adapalene-loaded microemulsions for targeted dermal delivery: Structure, stability and comparative biopharmaceutical characterization with a conventional dosage form

Aiming to develop biocompatible microemulsions based on natural alkyl polyglucoside surfactant as prospective carriers for improved dermal delivery of adapalene, phase behavior and microstructure of pseudo-ternary oil/decyl glucoside/propylene glycol/water systems were evaluated. The chosen inverted bicontinuous formulations did not change their microstructure upon drug incorporation and remained stable during 1-year period. Preliminary in vivo assessment of skin performances suggested satisfying safety profiles of placebo microemulsions, in spite of considerable changes in skin hydration and barrier function. Interestingly, despite lower in vitro drug release, the amount of adapalene penetrated into porcine skin under infinite dosing regime was higher from microemulsions than from commercial drug product, reaching dermal retention enhancement ratio of 5.9. However, by changing experimental conditions to the more realistic in-use situation, the amount of adapalene extracted from the stratum corneum was comparable for microemulsions and marketed product. Similarly, the drug deposition in hair follicles was slightly pronounced with novel microemulsion vehicles (183.30 ± 156.32 ng/cm2 and 167.39 ± 108.96 ng/cm2 vs. 157.00 ± 114.91 ng/cm2), highlighting the importance of proper selection of experimental conditions when assessing trans(dermal) drug delivery. Consequently, our results suggest that alkyl polyglucoside based microemulsions are promising vehicles worth exploring further for targeted intraderdermal delivery of adapalene in acne treatment.

Effects of Dietary Alkyl Polyglycoside Supplementation on Lactation Performance, Blood Parameters and Nutrient Digestibility in Dairy Cows

Simple SummaryThis project investigated the effects of alkyl polyglycoside (APG), a non-ionic surfactant, on lactation performance, blood metabolites and nutrient digestibility of lactating dairy cows, and found that the addition of APG at doses up to 22 mL/kg of pelleted concentrate (around 9 mL/kg of diet or 100 mL/day/head) had positive effects on milk quality in dairy cows.This study evaluated the effects of alkyl polyglycoside (APG), which is a non-ionic surfactant, on lactation performance, nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites in dairy cows. Twenty dairy cows were randomly divided into four groups and fed a basal diet that included pelleted concentrate, distillers grains, and fresh limpograss. The four treatments included 0, 5.5, 11 and 22 mL APG per kg of pelleted concentrate on a dry matter basis; treatments were defined as APG0, APG5.5, APG11, and APG22, respectively. Dry matter intake was not affected by APG supplementation. There was an increase in milk yield (from 13.96 to 16.71 kg/day) and increases in milk fat (quadratic, p = 0.04), protein (quadratic, p = 0.10), and lactose concentrations (linear, p = 0.07) with increasing APG supplementation. In addition, APG supplementation increased (p ≤ 0.03) the milk fat, protein, solid non-fat, and total solid yields, while the lactose yield increased (linear, p = 0.01) as the APG level increased. Dietary APG supplementation had no effect on nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites. It was concluded that the addition of APG at doses up to 22 mL/kg of pelleted concentrate had positive effects on the milk composition in dairy cows.

Synergisms between siloxane-polyoxyethylene and alkyl polyglycoside surfactants in foam stability and pool fire extinction

Fluorocarbon surfactants in firefighting foams must be replaced with environmentally friendly surfactants without loss of fire suppression performance. Aqueous foams generated from commercial siloxane-polyoxyethylene and alkyl polyglycoside surfactants were characterized individually and as mixtures in a formulation by measuring the solution and foam properties, foam degradation and fuel transport rates through a foam layer on a hot heptane pool, and foam’s ability to suppress a heptane pool fire rapidly using minimum amount of foam. The results showed significantly smaller fire extinction times for the surfactant mixtures than for either of the individual components exhibiting a synergistic fire extinction rather than following the law of averages; 5 times enhancement in extinction performance. The measured foam degradation rate with the foam exposed to a hot heptane pool also showed a similar synergism. The reduced foam degradation rate resulted in a reduced fuel vapor transport for longer times and a more rapid fire extinction for the siloxane-glycoside mixture. By increasing the hydrophilicity with increased size of the polyglycoside head, the synergistic effect was enhanced. Both benchtop (19 cm diameter) and large scale (6 ft diameter) heptane pool fire extinction with the siloxane-glycoside surfactant mixture showed that the extinction time was 1.5 times (60% effectiveness of AFFF) that of an equivalent AFFF formulation containing a fluorosurfactant in place of the siloxane surfactant at a fixed foam application rate (22 L m−2 min−1). An understanding of the molecular interactions at the interface causing the synergistic effects may lead to improved siloxane-glycoside systems and other novel surfactant systems with performance matching that of fluorocarbon surfactants.

Evaluation of new surfactants for enhanced oil recovery applications in high-temperature reservoirs

Surfactants have been successfully used for enhanced or improved oil recovery in reservoirs having mild conditions (low temperature, low salinity). Reservoirs having harsh conditions, however, offer unique challenges in that most surfactants precipitate and chemically degrade due to a combined effect of high temperature and hardness salinity. Industry’s efforts are continuing to develop or formulate surfactants for oil recovery applications to high temperature and salinity. The aim of this study was to evaluate several modified anionic surfactants/formulations that were claimed to be able to overcome the unfavorably high-salinity brine (sea water) and high temperature and to understand the impact of high temperature to surfactant adsorption. A series of experiments were conducted to characterize and quantify the effects of aging time in high temperature (106 °C) and seawater salinity (32,000 ppm with 1600 hardness) on surfactant performance. Results for both sulfate- and sulfonate-based surfactants were deemed not to be satisfactory. Sulfate-based surfactants encountered hydrolysis problem at high temperature, whereas sulfonate-based surfactants precipitated in the presence of divalent ions. This study then focused on alkyl ether carboxylate (AEC) as the main surfactant, and blends of AEC with alkyl polyglucoside (APG). To find the optimum conditions, phase behavior tests were performed with a fixed seawater salinity but with different blending ratios of surfactant and co-surfactant, as well as overall surfactant concentrations, similar to the salinity scan. Type III microemulsion was observed for both surfactant solutions of AEC and AEC–APG blend with IFT of 10−3 mN/m (millinewton/meter). Surfactant adsorption resulted in lower adsorption in the high-temperature region. The results of this project are urgently needed by the industry for future screening in order to find suitable surfactants for applying to reservoirs with harsh conditions. The study also intends to provide an understanding of adsorption relationship to high temperature, as a guideline in addressing surfactant losses due to adsorption at high-temperature field application.

Experimental Investigation of Surfactant Partitioning in Pre-CMC and Post-CMC Regimes for Enhanced Oil Recovery Application

The applications of surfactants in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) have received more attention in the past decade due to their ability to enhance microscopic sweep efficiency by reducing oil-water interfacial tension in order to mobilize trapped oil. Surfactants can partition in both water and oil systems depending on their solubility in both phases. The partitioning coefficient (Kp) is a key parameter when it comes to describing the ratio between the concentration of the surfactant in the oil phase and the water phase at equilibrium. In this paper, surfactant partitioning of the nonionic surfactant Alkylpolyglucoside (APG) was investigated in pre-critical micelle concentration (CMC) and post-cmc regimes at 80 °C to 106 °C. The Kp was then obtained by measuring the surfactant concentration after equilibration with oil in pre-cmc and post-cmc regimes, which was done using surface tension measurements and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. Surface tension (ST) and interfacial tension (IFT) behaviors were investigated by performing pendant and spinning drop tests, respectively—both tests were conducted at high temperatures. From this study, it was found that APG was able to lower IFT as well as ST between water/oil and air/oil, and its effect was found to be more profound at high temperature. The partitioning test results for APG in pre-cmc and post-cmc regimes were found to be dependent on the surfactant concentration and temperature. The partitioning coefficient is directly proportional to IFT, where at high partitioning intensity, IFT was found to be very low and vice versa at low partitioning intensity. The effect of temperature on the partitioning in pre-cmc and post-cmc regimes had the same impact, where at a high temperature, additional partitioned surfactant molecules arise at the water-oil interface as the association of molecules becomes easier.

Design of Nanocellulose Fibrils Containing Lignin Segment (L-NCF) for Producing Stable Liquid Foams as “Green” Flooding Agents for Oil Recovery

Foam stability is a crucial consideration in the view of its numerous applications. Herein, a series of nanocellulose fibrils containing lignin segment (L-NCF) was designed and then utilized for interfacial stabilization of liquid foams for eco-friendly oil recovery applications. The ability to form foams and their stability at bulk scale and bubble scale were thoroughly investigated using a foam scanner. Liquid drainage rate, bubble rupture, interfacial dilational viscoelasticity, and bubble transport in porous media were studied as a function of lignin content. We observed that in a vertical column the addition of L-NCF significantly mitigated the drainage of the liquid foams. The foam volume stability (FVS) index indicated that the stability of the foams in the presence of L-NCF was up to five times higher than that of surfactant-only foam. The hydrophobic interaction between the surfactant (mixture of alkyl polyglycoside (APG) and anion surfactant alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS)) and L-NCF (lignin segmen...

Preparation and Property of Perfluoropolyether Emulsions.

Perfluoropolyether (PFPE) glycerol emulsions were prepared. Three different green surfactants (AES (sodium laureth sulfate), APG (alkyl polyglycoside), and SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate)) were chosen to emulsify the PFPE. Their properties and performance in shampoo were also investigated. Centrifuge stability measurements show that three PFPE emulsions have good stability. They are stable for 60 min when the centrifugal speed is 6000 r/min. In addition, a change of droplet size was observed with time. Moreover, its rheological properties and application performance was studied. The AES emulsion was the most stable emulsion and it was found to improve the slip and lubricity performance of the cotton, so it has potential applications in shampoo.

Effects of lactic acid bacteria and alkyl polyglycoside on yellow corn stover silage quality and fermentation in vitro

Effects of lactic acid bacteria and alkyl polyglycoside on yellow corn stover silage quality and fermentation in vitro

Improvement in the Safety of Use of Hand Dishwashing Liquids through the Addition of Sulfonic Derivatives of Alkyl Polyglucosides

AbstractThe effect of a sulfonic acid derivative of alkyl polyglucosides on the safety of hand dishwashing liquids was assessed. In this study, it was found that an increase in the concentration of the natural origin raw material in samples led to a decrease in the zein number, and reduced changes in the pH level of bovine serum albumin solution, compared to a reference sample formulated without these compounds. These findings suggest a high level of reduction in the skin‐irritation effect after applying hand dishwashing liquids. In addition, the application of this type of anionic surfactants in products decreases their ability to emulsify fats. Consequently, the skin‐drying effect produced by the washing process and removal of protective epidermal lipids may be significantly reduced.

Alkyl polyglycoside: a green and efficient surfactant for enhancing heavy oil recovery at high-temperature and high-salinity condition

Alkyl polyglycoside (APG) is a green surfactant with excellent interfacial activity, emulsified ability, foaming performance and wettability, which has great potential in enhancing heavy oil recovery at high-temperature and high-salinity condition. In this paper, surface tension, interfacial tension, emulsifying ability, emulsion stability and emulsified oil droplet size were investigated for APG. Besides, the effect of temperature and salinity on interfacial activity and emulsification properties of APG was also studied. The results showed that APG had excellent interfacial activity and emulsification property among all these surfactants. Besides, the interfacial activity and emulsification properties of APG almost did not decrease, and even got better along with the increasing temperature or salinity, while those of other surfactants became worse in different degree. The incremental oil recovery by using APG at 90 °C and the salinity of 30 g/L can reach to 10.1% which is nearly two times higher than that of common EOR surfactants. These results indicated that APG is an efficient surfactant for enhancing heavy oil recovery at high-temperature and high-salinity condition.

Comparison of zero-valent iron and iron oxide nanoparticle stabilized alkyl polyglucoside phosphate foams for remediation of diesel-contaminated soils

Stable surfactant foam might play a vital role in the effective remediation of diesel oil contaminated soil-a major environmental hazard. This paper, first of its kind, is reporting the remediation of diesel-contaminated desert soil, coastal soil and clay soil by aqueous alkylpolyglucoside phosphate (APG-Ph) surfactant foams stabilized by Fe0 and Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Zero-valent iron (Fe0, ∼28 nm) and iron oxide (Fe3O4, ∼20 nm) nanoparticles are synthesized by liquid-phase reduction and precipitation methods, respectively. The effect of these nanoparticles on foamability, foam stability, surface tension and remediation of diesel-contaminated soils are examined at various concentrations (volume %) of alkylpolyglucoside phosphate (APG-Ph) surfactant and nanoparticles (mg/l). The maximum values of foamability and foam stability recorded for 0.1 vol % APG-Ph foam stabilized by 3.5 mg/l Fe0 are 108.3 and 110.4 mL, respectively. At the same conditions, the Fe3O4 results in 99.4 and 87.5 mL, respectively, depicting the better performance of Fe0. Reduction in surface tension of 0.1 vol % APG-Ph solution (50.75 mN/m) with the addition of 3.5 mg/l Fe0 (9.51 mN/m) and Fe3O4 (19.45 mN/m) nanoparticle is observed. Both the nanoparticles enhance remediation. The foam formed with 0.1 vol % APG-Ph and stabilized by 3.5 mg/l Fe0 shows the maximum diesel removal efficiency of 95.3, 94.6, and 57.5% for coastal soil, desert soil and clay soil, respectively. On the other hand, Fe3O4 (3.5 mg/l) stabilized APG-Ph foam of the same concentration shows merely 76.0, 79.6 and 51.6% diesel removal efficiency for coastal soil, desert soil, and clay soil, respectively. The rate of diesel removal by zero-valent iron and iron oxide nanoparticle stabilized foams are found to be well described by the first order kinetic model. Higher foamability, foam stability, and reducing capacity accompanying lower surface tension, compared to those of the Fe3O4 nanoparticle stabilized foam, could explain higher diesel removal efficiency of the Fe0 nanoparticle stabilized foam.