Biodegradable Surfactants Research Articles

Application of SDS surfactant microemulsion for removal of filter cake of oil-based drilling fluid: influence of cosurfactant

After drilling oil wells using oil-based drilling fluid, there is the occurrence of a formation of a thin layer of solids adsorbed on the surface, called filter cake, which must be removed to obtain satisfactory well cementation. The present work developed microemulsion systems from sodium dodecyl sulfate, a biodegradable surfactant, with kerosene as oil phase, n-butanol as cosurfactant and distilled water, in order to evaluate its efficiency in removing the filter cake. The results showed that the microemulsion systems composed of inverse and bicontinuous micelles removed 100% of the filter cake regardless of the content of the constituents in the formulation, while the direct micelles only reached 100% with the formulation composed by 10% kerosene and cosurfactant/surfactant ratio = 4. It was observed that the cosurfactant/surfactant ratio is a determining variable for direct micelles to remove 100% of the filter cake and that they are compatible with cement, offering desirable thermal stability and improving the wettability of the rock in water.

MOLECULAR DYNAMICS STUDY OF OLEIC ACID-BASED SURFACTANTS FOR ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY

Surfactants have been intensively used for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). Nevertheless, environmental issues cause some surfactants to become unfavored in EOR application. Biodegradable surfactants are the suitable choice to make the environment safer. However, screening surfactants that have a good performance for EOR are time-consuming and costly. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation is an alternative solution to reduce cost and time. In the present study, oleic acid-based surfactants that combined with the various length of polyethylene glycol were studied. The potential surfactants were screened by MD simulation to evaluate their ability to reduce the Interfacial Tension (IFT) between oil and water layers, which is the by GROMACS software with Gromos force field and SPC water model. Carboxyl-terminal of the oleic acid was substituted by a different length of polyethylene glycol. All MD simulations were prepared in octadecanewater mixture with temperature ranges of 303-363 K. Our simulations found that the increasing number of polyethylene glycol was not always followed by the decreasing of IFT value between octadecane and water layers. These results were validated with the experimental data and found the similar IFT profile. The simulation of oil emulsification showed that all surfactant samples have good performance and stability as exhibited by their emulsification rate and emulsion stability in different temperatures. The last test to get the best surfactant was the wetability test. The simulation gave the result that both PEG100-oleic and PEG400-oleic were able to change wetability of rocks from oil-wet to water-wet. Accordingly, PEG400-oleic is the best nonionic surfactant candidate due to its performance in each simulation test.

Effects of Surfactants on the Degradation of Diclofenac by Manganese Oxide.

Amine-containing pharmaceuticals are the most often detected pharmaceuticals in wastewater and ambient aquatic environments. They can usually be degraded by manganese oxide (MnO2), which is a common natural oxidant in soils. Surfactants often coexist with pharmaceuticals in wastewater. Some amine-containing pharmaceuticals, such as diclofenac (DIC), are acidic and are thus ionic compounds in neutral conditions. These compounds, therefore, have similar properties to surfactants. Surfactants, thus, may influence the adsorption and degradation processes of DIC by MnO2. The effect of the type of surfactant on the degradation of DIC by MnO2 was investigated in this study with the addition of two common biodegradable surfactants (cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)). The results indicated that the cationic surfactant (CTAB) significantly increased the degradation rate in neutral and alkaline conditions. On the other hand, the anionic surfactant (SDS) slightly increased the DIC removal rate in an acidic condition but significantly decreased the removal in neutral and alkaline conditions. Coexisting cationic surfactants not only influenced the kinetics but also altered the transformation mechanism of DIC by MnO2. Decarboxylation is the main transformation mechanism of DIC in the presence of CTAB, while both decarboxylation and hydroxylation are the main transformation mechanisms in the absence of CTAB.

TECHNOLOGY OF SURFACE-ACTIVE RICINIC ACID DERIVATIVES

The overall purpose of the presented study is to determine the scientific basis of the technology amino acids based surfactants, this is relevant for Ukraine, because we dont have such production of domestic substances. The practical significance of the study is to use the surfactants obtained in the composition of detergents instead of alkyl sulfate salts. One of the varieties of environmentally friendly surfactants that have a gentle effect on human skin is acyl amino acids, which are obtained by the reaction of amino acids with fatty acids. A relatively simple to implement technology for biocompatible and biodegradable surfactants based on amino acids with the use of castor oil and aminoacetic acid as the main raw material is proposed. The results of IR spectroscopy show that the surfactants obtained are amides. Their basic surface-active properties are defined - surface tension and critical concentration of micelle formation. The obtained surfactants can be used in the composition of cosmetics and detergents, or independently in the form of an aqueous solution.

Prevention and Control of Legionella and Pseudomonas spp. Colonization in Dental Units.

Introduction: Dental Unit Waterlines (DUWLs) have shown to be a source of Legionella infection. We report the experience of different dental healthcare settings where a risk management plan was implemented. Materials and methods: In a Hospital Odontostomatology Clinic (HOC) and three Private Dental Clinics (PDCs) housing 13 and six dental units (DUs), respectively, an assessment checklist was applied to evaluate staff compliance with guideline recommendations. DUWLs microbial parameters were investigated before and after the application of corrective actions. Results: In the HOC a poor adherence to good practices was demonstrated, whereas protocols were carefully applied in PDCs. L. pneumophila sg 2–15 was isolated in 31% (4/13) and 33% (2/6) of DUs in HOC and PDCs, respectively, mainly from handpieces (32%, 6/19) with counts >102 colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/L), often associated with P. aeruginosa (68%, 13/19). The shock disinfection with 3% v/v hydrogen peroxide (HP) showed a limited effect, with a recolonization period of about 4 weeks. Legionella was eradicated only after 6% v/v HP shock disinfection and filters-installation, whilst P. aeruginosa after the third shock disinfection with a solution of 4% v/v HP and biodegradable surfactants. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate the presence and persistence of microbial contamination within the DUWLs, which required strict adherence to control measures and the choice of effective disinfectants.

Anti-Agglomeration Effects of Biodegradable Surfactants from Natural Sources on Natural Gas Hydrate Formation

Kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHI) and anti-agglomerants (AA) rather than thermodynamic hydrate inhibitors (THI) are often used for flow assurance in pipelines. This is because they require much lower dosages than thermodynamic inhibitors. Although the hydrate-phase equilibria are not affected, KHI and AA prevent the formed hydrate crystals from growing to a bulky state causing pipeline blockage. However, these KHIs might have huge environmental impact due to leakages from the pipelines. In this study, two biodegradable AA candidates from natural sources (that is, lecithin and lanolin) are proposed and their performances are evaluated by comparing them with and without a conventional AA (Span 80, sorbitan monooleate). At 30% and 50% water cut, the addition of AA materials was found to enhance the flow characteristics substantially in pipelines and hardly affected the maximum value of the rotational torque, respectively. Considering the cost-effective and environmental advantages of the suggested AA candidates over a conventional AA such as Span 80, the materials are thought to have potential viability for practical operation of oil and gas pipelines. However, additional investigations will be done to clarify the optimum amounts and the action mechanisms of the suggested AAs.

Solid State Kinetics, Spectroscopic, Thermal Degradation and Fungicidal Studies of Biodegradable Copper Surfactants Derived from Lauric Acid

Introduction: The synthesis of copper soap (laurate), and its complex with 2-amino 6- methylbenzothiazole and their elemental and spectral analysis have been done for comparative studies using IR, NMR, Mass and ESR spectra. Methods: The fungicidal activities, with reference to Alternaria alternata and Aspergillus niger at different concentrations by P.D.A. technique were also studied. Results and Conclusion: The present research work comprises detailed thermal analysis using TGA technique to determine their kinetic and thermodynamic parameters by applying various equations like Freeman Carroll, Coats-Redfern equation, Horowitz-Metzger equation, Broido equation, Piloyan–Novikova equation.

Cellulose-based eco-friendly wafer-cleaning reagent

As the semiconductor industry has advanced, precisely patterned wafers of the sub-nanometer scale have been produced; hence, the development of cleaning reagents to remove contaminants from such wafers has received increasing attention. However, conventional cleaning solutions have significant drawbacks, including high cost and toxicity to both humans and the environment. In this work, we developed an eco-friendly cleaning reagent containing cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and a biodegradable amphoteric surfactant, cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB), at optimal concentrations. The proposed system was applicable to both bare and patterned wafers, achieving a contaminant removal efficiency of ca. 100% without wafer damage. After investigating the cleaning mechanism utilizing different analytical techniques, we determined that the synergistic effect of the CNC/CAPB and free CAPB that includes the physical bombardment, electrostatic repulsion, and the adsorption inhibition of contaminants, contribute to the effective cleaning process. We expect this eco-friendly and cost-effective cleaning reagent to be readily adopted in the production of semiconductor products, as it could reduce the overall cost of producing electronics.

Characterization of an amino acid based biodegradable surfactant facilitating the incorporation of DNA into lipophilic delivery systems

HypothesisLysine based cationic surfactants are well-tolerated tools for hydrophobic ion pairing (HIP) with DNA and its incorporation into lipophilic delivery systems. ExperimentsDi-Boc-lysine was esterified with 1-hexadecanol and the Boc-residues were cleaved off resulting in hexadecyl lysinate (HL). Subsequently, its Log POctanol/water and the critical micelle concentration (CMC) were determined. Degradability was evaluated utilizing trypsin and pancreas lipase as well as Caco-2 cells. Afterwards, the viability of Caco-2 cells upon incubation with HL was investigated. Finally, HL was ion-paired with plasmid DNA (pDNA, 6159 bp) and the obtained complex was incorporated into self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS) for transfection studies on HEK-293 cells. FindingsHL was synthesized with a yield of 53% and subsequent characterization revealed a Log PWater/Octanol of 0.05 and a CMC of 2.7 mM. Enzymatic degradation studies showed rapid degradation of HL by isolated enzymes and Caco-2 cells and cell viability experiments revealed no toxic effect of HL even in a concentration of 250 µg·ml−1 within 24 h. HIP with pDNA was the most efficient in a molar ratio of 6159:1 (HL:pDNA) equalling a charge ratio of 1:1. Formed complexes could be incorporated into SEDDS facilitating successful transfection of HEK-293 cells.

A biosurfactant as prospective additive for pool boiling heat transfer enhancement

Compared to chemical or synthetic surfactants, biosurfactants have been less explored in heat transfer applications. In the present work heat transfer performance of a biosurfactant (Rhamnolipid) solution in pool boiling experiments has been reported. Pool boiling experiments have been performed on a smooth copper surface with aqueous Rhamnolipid solutions at different concentrations and results have been compared with that of DI water. Surface tension and viscosity of newly developed surfactant solutions have been experimentally measured. Critical micelles concentration (CMC) of aqueous Rhamnolipid solution has been observed at 200 ppm. Significant enhancement of heat transfer coefficient is observed with Rhamnolipid solution at CMC value. It reports 200% enhancement in heat transfer coefficient compared to that with pure water. Active nucleation sites and less coalescence of growing of bubbles contribute for heat transfer enhancement in surfactant solutions. Like other surfactants critical heat flux (CHF) value of Rhamnolipid solution at CMC is observed less than that of pure water. However, reduction in CHF (23%) of present surfactant solution is less than the reduction in CHF (≈50%) of other surfactants. Present Rhamnolipids solution shows better heat transfer performance and higher CHF value compared to SDS surfactant. Moreover, it shows better heat transfer performance in comparison to other biodegradable surfactants reported in the literature.

Enzymatic one-pot synthesis of renewable and biodegradable surfactants in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2)

We exploit enzymatic catalysis in supercritical carbon dioxide to create novel, linear and degradable amphiphilic polymers that can act as surfactants.

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.

Cost, energy and GHG emission assessment for microbial biodiesel production through valorization of municipal sludge and crude glycerol.

In this study, cost simulations were made based on 20 million L blended biodiesel B-10 production per year using INRS and conventional process. In case of INRS process, microbial lipid was produced by T. oleaginosus using washed municipal secondary sludge fortified with crude glycerol while lipid was extracted from wet biomass using biodegradable surfactant and petroleum-diesel (PD). The conventional process uses commercial substrates for lipid production and organic solvents for lipid extraction from dry biomass. The unit B-10 production cost of INRS process was estimated to be $ 0.72/L for an annual capacity of 20 million L, which is 9.5 times more economical than conventional biodiesel production process. For INRS process, the unit B-10 biodiesel production cost was sensitive to plant capacity and lipid productivity during the fermentation. INRS process exhibited positive net energy gain and positive GHG capture, which proves to be energetically and environmentally viable.

Soil flushing pilot test in a landfill polluted with liquid organic wastes from lindane production

Sites contaminated by Dense Non-Aqueous Liquid Phases (DNAPLs) containing chlorinated compounds are a ubiquitous problem caused by spills or the dumping of wastes with no concern for the environment. Their migration by gravity through the subsurface and their accumulation far below ground level make in-situ treatments the most appropriate remediation technologies. In this work, an aqueous solution containing a non-ionic and biodegradable surfactant was injected in the Sardas alluvial layer contaminated at some points with DNAPL (formed by a mixture of more than 28 chlorinated compounds) from lindane production. A volume of 5.28 m3 of an aqueous surfactant emulsion (13 g L−1) was injected at 14.5 m b g.l in the permeable layer (gravel-sand), at a flow rate of 0.6 m3 h−1 and the groundwater was monitored within a test cell (3.5 m radius) built ad hoc. The flow of the injected fluids in the subsurface was also evaluated using a conservative tracer, bromide (130 mg L−1), added to the surfactant solution. Concentration of contaminants, chloride, bromide and surfactant, surface tension and conductivity were measured at the injection point and at three monitoring points over time. High radial dispersion was noticed resulting in high dilution of the injected fluids. The surfactant was not adsorbed in the soil during the injection time, the adsorption of the surfactant took place in the meantime (15 h) between its injection and the groundwater (GW) extraction. The concentration of chlorinated compounds dissolved from the soil in the surfactant aqueous phase when equilibrium was reached (about 850 mg L−1) is related to the moderate average contamination of the soil in the test cell (about 1230 mg kg−1). In contrast, the extraction of the free DNAPL in the altered marls layer was highly enhanced due to the addition of the surfactant. Finally, it was found that the surfactant and the contamination did not migrate from the capture zone.

Estimation of the condition and approaches to the rehabilitation of the geological environment disordered as a result of construction and anthropogenic activities

Introduction. The paper considers the issue of estimation of disordered areas as a result of construction and anthropogenic activities and suggests strategies for solving this problem by the example of the Samara region. Materials and methods. The article applies the generally accepted methods and research conducted by employees of Samara State Technical University. The sources of initial data are reports of state authorities. The subjects of the study are engineering-geological environmental elements, industrial facilities, polluting components and surface and Groundwater bodies. Results. The paper proposes a ranking-system for estimation of disorder areas and classification by areas of economic activity. The article provides the classification of the impact of technological losses of enterprises, the activity of which leads to the disruption of the geological environment. A resource and ecological approach for technogenic deposits of various substances and a strategy for their use and subsequent environmental restoration are proposed. The research presents the results of technogenic deposit 3D simulation as well as approaches to their interpretation. Conclusions. The developed approach and methodological basis for the analysis of the geological system, including the technogenic lens allow evaluating, analyzing, and predicting the migration of human-made lenses formed as a result of construction and economic activity. A resource-based and ecological approach was used for the simultaneous collection of pollutant fluids and the rehabilitation of the geological environment. The article recommends to use 3D digital simulation methods to increase the efficiency of research and predict the number of substances in the depths. The methods apply to human-made deposits, subject to the determination of the ambiance filtration characteristics by water and fluid. It is proposed to use biodegradable surfactants as a method of geological environment rehabilitation. This choice is stipulated by the fact that surfactants allow “washing” the rocks without increasing the burden on the environment. An alternative method is proposed for predicting fluid migration due to the description of the geosystem as a system of forced oscillations. The method allows predicting the periods of the most efficient oil production and designated engineering protection methods.

Extraction of eco-friendly and biodegradable surfactant for inhibition of copper corrosion during acid pickling

A novel, cheap, less toxic, and easier-prepared gelatin surfactant is successfully used as corrosion inhibitor for the corrosion of copper in 0.1 M H2SO4 at the temperature range: 25–55°C. The crit...

Microbial bioconversion of thermally depolymerized polypropylene by Yarrowia lipolytica for fatty acid production.

Plastic production and waste generation will continue to rise as nations worldwide grow economically. In this work, we detail a pyrolysis-based bioconversion process for polypropylene (PP) to produce value-added fatty acids (FAs). PP pellets were depolymerized by pyrolysis, generating oil that consisted of mainly branched chain fatty alcohols and alkenes. The oil was mixed with biodegradable surfactants and trace nutrients and mechanically homogenized. The resulting medium, OP4, was used for fermentation by Yarrowia lipolytica strain 78-003. Y. lipolytica assimilated > 80% of the substrate over 312 h, including 86% of the fatty alcohols. Y. lipolytica produced up to 492 mg L-1 lipids, compared with 216 mg L-1 during growth in surfactant-based control medium. C 18 compounds, including oleic acid, linoleic acid, and stearic acid, were the predominant products, followed by C 16 compounds palmitic and palmitoleic acids. Two percent of the products was C 20 compounds. The majority of the products were unsaturated FAs. Growth on hydrophobic substrates (OP4 medium, hexadecane) was compared with growth on hydrophilic substrates (glucose, starch). The resulting FA profiles revealed an absence of short-chain fatty acids during growth on hydrophobic media, findings consistent with ex novo FA biosynthesis. Overall, FA profiles by Y. lipolytica during growth in OP4 medium were similar to FA profiles while growing on natural substrates. The process described here offers an alternative approach to managing postconsumer plastic waste.

Ion flotation removal of a range of contaminant ions from drinking water

The effect of a natural, biodegradable surfactant obtained using a novel and efficient chemical reaction between cysteine (a thiol-based amino acid) and an octanoyl (C8) compound, was investigated for its application to the ion flotation removal of low levels of different contaminant ions from aqueous solution. The synthesised amino acid-based single-chain surfactant shows a high water solubility and exhibits extensive foaming in a typical flotation chamber over a wide pH range. In a batch ion flotation process, this surfactant was able to remove 97–99% of the 5ppm of strontium, lanthanum, arsenic and different heavy metal ion levels present in contaminated water, in a simple, single-stage physiochemical process; while this surfactant showed significantly lower efficiency for the removal of iron, selenium and gold ions. In a solution mixed with heavy-metal ions, including arsenic, copper, cadmium, magnesium, lanthanum, chromium, lead and iron, the surfactant shows high affinity to bind with arsenic, copper and chromium compared with the others. Moreover, the effectiveness of this surfactant for removal of gold ions from aqueous binary mixtures in the presence of iron and mercury ions has been explored. This new surfactant is highly efficient compared with commercial surfactants (e.g., SDS and CTAB) for ion flotation. Importantly it is an environmentally acceptable compound. It can be decomposed into cysteine (amino acid) and octanoic acid (caprylic acid, which is taken as a dietary supplement). The surfactant has the potential for wide usage in ion flotation and in froth flotation.

Microalgal Biomass as a Raw Material for Producing Surfactants

Oils were isolated from the dry biomass of microalgae (Spirulina, Botryococcus balkhashus, and wild strain of the Sugur soda lake culture). These oils were subjected to ester interchange with methanol, followed by modification with monoethanolamine and ethylene glycol. The surfactant properties of the oils obtained as reaction products were evaluated. These oils reduce the surface tension of water to 16–32 mN m−1; i.e., the biomass studied is suitable as a raw material for producing biodegradable surfactants. The pyrolysis lipids of the microalgal culture samples studied can be ranked in the following order with respect to surfactant properties: Botryococcus balkhashus > Sugur culture > Spirulina. This order is associated with the composition of the lipid fractions. The quantitative parameters of the growth of the Spirulina biomass in various culture media are compared. The use of alternative resources, namely, of the source of the main biogenic element, carbon, in a culture medium (crude soda) and of geothermal hydrocarbonate water as a liquid base, increases the yield of the produced biomass.

Ajinomoto to boost amino acid surfactants

Ajinomoto will spend more than $20 million to build a facility in Brazil for amino acid–based surfactants. Set to open in the fall of 2020, the plant will increase the firm’s capacity for the materials by about 20%. Demand for the mild, biodegradable surfactants has been growing at 15% annually, Ajinomoto says.