Dispersed Oil Droplets Research Articles

Crude oil exposure of early life stages of Atlantic haddock suggests threshold levels for developmental toxicity as low as 0.1 μg total polyaromatic hydrocarbon (TPAH)/L

Atlantic haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) embryos bind dispersed crude oil droplets to the eggshell and are consequently highly susceptible to toxicity from spilled oil. We established thresholds for developmental toxicity and identified any potential long-term or latent adverse effects that could impair the growth and survival of individuals. Embryos were exposed to oil for eight days (10, 80 and 300 μg oil/L, equivalent to 0.1, 0.8 and 3.0 μg TPAH/L). Acute and delayed mortality were observed at embryonic, larval, and juvenile stages with IC50 = 2.2, 0.39, and 0.27 μg TPAH/L, respectively. Exposure to 0.1 μg TPAH/L had no negative effect on growth or survival. However, yolk sac larvae showed significant reduction in the outgrowth (ballooning) of the cardiac ventricle in the absence of other extracardiac morphological defects. Due to this propensity for latent sublethal developmental toxicity, we recommend an effect threshold of 0.1 μg TPAH/L for risk assessment models.

Generation of condensate bubble aphrons (CBA) by partially vaporized condensate to enhance oil removal from produced water

This paper demonstrates flotation separation for dispersed oil droplets and dissolved organics by preparing condensate bubble aphrons (CBA) by partially vaporizing condensate. The results show that the new CBA consists of a condensate membrane and a gas core, with a three-phase contact angle above 140° from the oil surface due to excellent wettability. At different temperatures and condensate compositions, bubbles are about 25–100 µm in size. The half-life time (140–230 s) of CBA and gas hold-up (10–25%) is much higher than nitrogen bubbles. It shows that the CBA has good stability and dispersibility. The flotation experiment of CBA found that the condensate group distribution ratio was optimally adapted to the temperature, and the optimum oil removal efficiency of up to 87% was obtained when the operating temperature was higher than the bubble point of 25–35 °C. The experimental experiment shown the recommended initial oil concentration (400 mg/L) and the mixing ratio of condensate and water (1.0%). Otherwise, CBA flotation efficiency was 10% higher than dissolved gas flotation. With the addition of flocculant, the CBA flotation efficiency can reach 97% of oil droplets and can achieve 50% removal of Acetic acid (HAc).

Post-Formation of Oil Particle Aggregates: Breakup and Biodegradation.

Spilled oil slicks are likely to break into droplets in the subtidal and intertidal zones of seashores due to wave energy. The nonliving suspended fine particles in coastal ecosystems can interact with the dispersed oil droplets, resulting in the formation of Oil Particle Aggregates (OPAs). Many investigations assumed that these aggregates will settle due to the particles' high density. Recent studies, however, reported that some particles penetrate the oil droplets, which results in further breakup while forming smaller OPAs that remain suspended in the water column. Here, we investigated the interaction of crude oil droplets with intertidal and subtidal sediments, as well as artificial pure kaolinite, in natural seawater. Results showed that the interaction between oil droplets and intertidal sediments was not particularly stable, with an Oil Trapping Efficiency (OTE) < 25%. When using subtidal sediments, OTE reached 56%. With artificial kaolinite, OPA formation and breakup were more significant (OTE reaching up to 67%) and occurred faster (within 12 h). Oil chemistry analysis showed that the biodegradation of oil in seawater (half-life of 485 h) was significantly enhanced with the addition of sediments, with half-lives of 305, 265, and 150 h when adding intertidal sediments, subtidal sediments, and pure kaolinite, respectively. Such results reveal how the sediments' shape and size affect the various oil-sediment interaction mechanisms, and the subsequent impact on the microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Future studies should consider investigating the application of fine (several microns) and sharp (elongated-sheeted) sediments as a nondestructive and nontoxic technique for dispersing marine oil spills.

Froth flotation as primary treatment of flowback water: Removal of total organic carbon and prediction of kinetics

AbstractPetroleum and exploration industries employ a hydrofracking process where a large volume of water (fracturing fluid) is injected and a fraction (known as flowback water) is returned to the surface. Froth flotation is a typical process employed for the primary treatment of water. In the present work, froth flotation has been used as a pretreatment method for real flowback water sourced from the petroleum and shale gas exploration industry. In the present work, a first‐principle based convective mass transfer model has been developed to describe the froth flotation performance. The resultant equation was solved analytically and compared with the numerical solution, and a parametric sensitivity analysis of the process performance was also undertaken. In addition, a correlation to estimate the flotation rate constant was proposed, thereby circumventing the need to obtain a large number of cumbersome parameters experimentally. Overall, this study proposes froth flotation as an efficient primary treatment method towards the separation of dispersed oil droplets from the flowback water and the corresponding prediction of kinetics using a first‐principle based transport model.

Environmentally Friendly Strategy for Treating In Situ Leaching Solutions of Ion-Adsorption Type Yttrium-Rich Heavy Rare-Earth Ore by a Bubble-Supported Organic Liquid Membrane

A novel environmentally friendly strategy based upon bubble-supported organic liquid membrane (BSOLM) extraction using saponified naphthenic acid as extractant is proposed in the present work for treating the in situ leaching solutions of ion-adsorption type yttrium-rich heavy rare-earth ores in South China. It was revealed that selectively preferential separation of non-yttrium rare earths from yttrium can be achieved, while the electrolyte aluminum salt can be retained in the raffinates for subsequent return as the leaching reagent for performing in situ leaching of ion-adsorption type heavy rare-earth ores. The BSOLM extraction exhibits an obvious advantage over conventional extraction in promoting the competitive mass transfer and separation of coexisting rare earths from yttrium and other non-rare-earth impurity ions. Using erbium as a representative of heavy rare earths, it was found that the differences in diffusive mass transfer rate of Er3+, Y3+, and Al3+ ions in the boundary layer of laminar flow near the surface of the extractant liquid membrane result in their enhanced separation. The BSOLM extraction prevents the convective disturbance along the normal vertical direction of the interface due to the irregular movement of dispersed oil droplets in the conventional extraction and therefore inhibit the co-extraction of Al3+ ions. The effects of Al3+ ion concentrations in aqueous feed solutions, initial aqueous pHs, concentrations of naphthenic acid, and its saponification degree on the separation efficiency were investigated. Experimental results confirmed that competitive hydration and adsorption of Al3+ ions at the interface play an important role in increasing the difference in concentration distribution of Er3+ and Y3+ ions near the interface during BSOLM extraction; therefore, the separation of rare earths from yttrium can be controllable.

Impact of lighter alkanes on the formation and dissociation kinetics of methane hydrate in oil-in-water dispersions relevant for flow assurance

Various crude oil fractions (saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltene) affect the hydrate formation cumulatively during the multiphase phase flow in offshore flowlines. This study investigates the impact of chain length of saturated hydrocarbons (nC5, nC6, nC7, and nC10) on methane hydrate formation and dissociation kinetics in oil-in-water dispersions at 275.15 K and 8 MPa. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been added (at 0, 500, 1000, and 1500 ppm concentration) to mimic the natural surfactants in the crude oil. Methane hydrate formation kinetics without surfactant does not correlate well with methane solubility trend in liquid alkanes (this study) due to narrow methane solubility difference along with poorly dispersed oil droplets without surfactant and stochastic hydrate induction behaviour. Increased SDS concentration (up to ∼1000 ppm) enhances the hydrate formation during initial stages due to enhanced oil–water interface following a decrease for higher concentration (∼1500 ppm) due to possible disruptions in the structure of local water by the hydrophilic surfactant part. At fixed surfactant concentration (∼1000 ppm), the hydrate formation is enhanced with increasing carbon number (nC6 < nC7 < nC10) during initial stages (∼10 h) due to lower methane solubility (increased methane availability in water) along with synergistic mechanism of alkane and SDS surfactant, before achieving similar formation kinetics during later stages. During dissociation, the gas release has been observably delayed at higher concentrations (∼1500 ppm) compared to lower (∼1000 ppm and below), possibly due to hydrate crystals trapping by surfactant molecules and methane adsorption on the hydrophobic surfactant part. A faster gas release has also been observed for systems with higher alkane at fixed surfactant concentration, possibly aided by lower methane solubility upon gaining enough thermal energy.

Cellulose-improved superwetting foam with excellent removal performance for oil layer/droplets and dyes in water

The wastewater containing layered oil, dispersed oil droplets, and water-soluble organic dyes has caused severe contamination to the ecological environment, which has received extensive concern. Herein, a kind of inexpensive and multifunctional superwetting cellulose/polyurethane foam (CL/PUF) composite was fabricated. The micron-sized CL powder (4 wt. %) dissolved in NaOH/thiourea/urea mixture was regenerated and filled in PUF pores, and the regenerated CL was further crosslinked by citric acid (4 wt. %). The composite material shows good underwater superoleophobic/superhydrophilic (U-SO/SH) property, excellent anti-corrosion ability, and satisfactory mechanical stability against at least 320 cycles of squeezing. The decorated PUF composite is capable of achieving high efficiencies (>98.1. %) of water/oil separation. The composite can also be designed into a device for continuous removal to extremely harsh solutions in oil. Furthermore, the decorated PUFs are able to separate surfactant-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions (efficiencies: >98.9 %). More importantly, the as-prepared PUF can separate water-soluble organic dyes, and the adsorption efficiency are greater than 94.2 %, which is far greater than that (>8.8 %) of original PUF. The fabricated multifunctional composite is expected to possess wide prospect in actual oily wastewater treatment and water-soluble organic dyes separation.

New Technique for Enhancing Residual Oil Recovery from Low-Permeability Reservoirs: The Cooperation of Petroleum Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacteria and SiO2 Nanoparticles.

Residual crude oil production from low-permeability reservoirs has become a huge challenge because conventional recovery techniques are inefficient. Nanofluids as a new type of oil-displacement agent have become a hot topic in recent years to enhance oil recovery (EOR) in reservoirs. However, the imperfection of agglomeration, dissolution, and instability of nanofluids in reservoir environments limit their ability to drive oil. Here, a novel "microbial-nanofluid" composed of petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria (PHDB, namely Bacillus cereus) and SiO2 nanoparticles was proposed as a potential new technology for enhancing residual oil recovery. The micromodel displacement test results showed that the optimum composite concentration of "microbial-nanofluids" were PHDB (7.0%, v/v) and SiO2 nanoparticles (100 mg/L), and the residual oil recovery was increased by 30.1% compared with waterflooding (68.8%). Moreover, the morphological characteristics of residual oil mobilization after "microbial-nanofluid" flooding were mainly small and dispersed oil droplets in the excessive areas, and the dead-end areas were almost clean with mobilization. Furthermore, the cooperation mechanism of four kinds of "microbial-nanofluids" to enhance the residual oil recovery in low-permeability reservoirs was preliminarily clarified, namely the co-emulsification of oil, working together to unclog oil clog, microbial-nanofluid self-assembly, and structural disjoining pressure. This study demonstrated that PHDB-SiO2 nanoparticle composite flooding technology provided a significant potential for the EOR from low-permeability reservoirs.

An experimental Stommel Retention Zone facility with an application to oil droplet dispersion

AbstractStommel Retention Zones (SRZs) associated with wind‐driven Langmuir circulation (LC) facilitate the subsurface retention of particles and thus affect processes such as oil spill dispersion, sediment suspension, oil–particle aggregation, and plankton distribution. Since the effect of SRZs on these processes is difficult to study in the field, we present a novel laboratory facility designed to recreate the counterrotating vortex pair flow pattern associated with small‐scale SRZs of various strengths in two dimensions (2D). We then inject an oil jet into this facility to study buoyant oil droplet retention in these SRZs. 2D particle image velocimetry and hybrid Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes/large eddy simulation are used to characterize the flow. Large‐scale oil droplet trajectories in the SRZs are visualized, and oil droplet statistics in the downwelling region and vortex core are measured using high‐magnification brightfield imaging and a droplet detection algorithm. Values of maximum velocity (7.7–32.2 mm s−1), turbulent kinetic energy (10−6 to 10−4 m2 s−2), and turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate (10−7 to 10−5 m2 s−3) in the downwelling region of the facility fall within the range of values observed in the field. Flow field strength strongly influences oil droplet trajectories, the shape and size of the SRZ, and oil droplet statistics over time, with stronger flows retaining larger oil droplets in the downwelling region over longer periods of time. Indeed, droplets of almost 400 μm diameter are observed in the downwelling region after almost 10 min for the strongest flow. The facility may be used to study the behavior of microplastics, sediments, and zooplankton in LC in the future.

A makeup remover-inspired chitosan-based emulsion for heavy oil removal in oily sludge treatment

During oil production processes, oily sludges are inevitably produced and accumulating, which are extremely hazardous to our living environment. Due to their complex compositions mainly containing oil-contaminated solids and emulsified water and oil, it has been always a great challenge to treat oily sludges before solids can be properly disposed, and oil and water can be recycled. In this study, inspired by the makeup remover and for the first time, a chitosan-based emulsion was developed to treat oily sludges. The emulsion can efficiently remove the heavy oil from solids with removal efficiency of ∼94.7%–98.0% varying with solution pH, sludge to emulsion ratio, and settling time. It has been revealed that the oil liberates from solid surfaces resulted from the wettability alteration of the solid surface in emulsion solution due to the decrease in oil/water interfacial tension as well as oil layer softening by the solvent penetration. A rag layer formed after oil liberation due to the unresolved dispersed oil droplets carrying solid particles, which was further treated by the addition of ∼1.4–6.1 wt‰ of HCl to the mixture. With HCl addition, the dispersed oil drops were found to coalesce attributed the charge neutralization and interfacial property change of chitosan molecules at oil/water interfaces evident from the zeta potential measurement. Our work proposes an environmental-friendly approach to treat oily sludges, and provides valuable information on the oil removal mechanisms using emulsion solution shielding lights on the development of emulsion-based treating technology for both oily sludge and oil-contaminated solids treatment.

Ecotoxicity Studies for On-Site Disposal of Decant Water During Oil Spills: A Review

Mechanical oil recovery, a most used tool for oil spill response, can generate a considerable proportion of oil-contaminated water (10–70%). Large storage space is commonly required to transport the recovered oil and water mixture to shore. Transit and transportation consume loads of time, money, and resources while reducing oil recovery’s overall efficiency and capacity. Techniques of on-site treatment and disposal of oily wastewater provide benefits for oil recovery by freeing storage space. However, the high petroleum content of decant water can lead to uncertain risks, if discharged into the marine ecosystem. Insufficient ecological toxicity data and research limit the standardization and establishment of regulative tools. To fill the knowledge gaps, this review comprehensively summarized recent studies on the potential impacts of the organic composition in decant water, including oil–water accommodated fractions, dispersed oil droplets, and other related chemicals, on various marine species (i.e., bacterium, invertebrates, fishes, plants, reptiles, and mammals). The toxicity effects and the ecological endpoints of oils, TPH, and PAHs on different species were discussed. Recommendations for future ecological impacts and decant water composition were provided to support the on-site disposal of the water fraction.

Phase Function of Seawater Polluted by Oil Emulsion

Oil droplets suspended in the seawater will seriously affect the transmission characteristics of electromagnetic wave from ultraviolet and visible light to infrared. The scattering phase function can show the laser transmission characteristics in seawater polluted by oil. Water with oil emulsion has a phase function significantly different from that of natural ocean water. The accurate calculation of phase function can lay the foundation for laser propagation in the oil spill seawater, and is of great significance for protection of marine environment. This paper presents the modeling of phase function of seawater polluted by dispersed oil based on Mie scattering theory. Numerical calculation of scattering phase function of dispersed oil droplets in various times and at different wavelengths is conducted, and the numerical results of Henyey-Greenstein phase function and the modified Henyey-Greenstein phase function is given. The results show that the shapes of Mie scattering phase function of water with oil emulsion depend on wavelength and the oil emulsion ageing. The forward scattering attenuates with the time of oil emulsion ageing and the increase of incident wavelength, and the scattering gradually becomes homogeneously. Compared with Henyey-Greenstein the modified Henyey-Greenstein phase function can describe the scattering property of oil emulsion in the seawater better. But the fitting effects of both Henyey-Greenstein phase function and the modified Henyey-Greenstein phase function are undesirable for long time oil droplets, long wavelength and strong absorption ultraviolet light.

Oil droplet breakup during pressure swirl atomization of emulsions: Influence of emulsion viscosity and viscosity ratio

The atomization of oil-in-water emulsions for spray drying is a common task in food engineering. During atomization with pressure swirl atomizers, the emulsions are subjected to high stresses that can lead to deformation and breakup not only of the liquid itself but also of the disperse oil droplets therein. In this study, the effect of the viscosity ratio λ of the emulsion (0.2–33) and of the emulsion viscosity (5–50 mPa⋅s) on oil droplet breakup during atomization was investigated at atomization pressures between 50 and 250 bar. A systematic influence of λ on the oil droplet size was observed with maximum oil droplet breakup for λ between 0.2 and 1.2. At a constant viscosity ratio of ∼ 1, the resulting oil droplet size was almost independent of the emulsion viscosity, even when volume flow rates and spray droplet sizes during atomization showed a clear dependence on this parameter. A model based on existing knowledge on droplet breakup in laminar shear flow is developed, by which oil droplet sizes after atomization can be predicted. This model may serve as a tool to control oil droplet size after atomization by defining appropriate atomization conditions and emulsion formulation. This is especially relevant for spray drying applications in which the oil droplet size in the powder is an important quality parameter. • Viscosity ratio λ influences oil droplet breakup during pressure swirl atomization. • At λ ∼ 1 the emulsion viscosity per se has little influence on oil droplet breakup. • Oil droplet breakup follows the theory of droplet breakup in laminar shear flow. • A model is proposed that serves as a tool to predict oil droplet breakup.

Spontaneous Emulsions: Adjusting Spontaneity and Phase Behavior by Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Difference-Guided Surfactant, Salt, and Oil Selection.

Spontaneous emulsion behavior has been difficult to predict and could be influenced by many variables including salinity, temperature, and chemical composition of the oil and surfactant. In this work, the hydrophilic-lipophilic difference (HLD) framework was used to predict the formation of spontaneous emulsions using a mixture of Span-80 and SLES surfactants. The spontaneity and emulsion behavior of different systems were modeled by estimating the HLDmix. The influence of surfactant ratio, salinity, and oil type was investigated. Spontaneous emulsification could only be observed when the HLDmix was between -0.96 and 1.04. Within this range, a negative HLDmix resulted in a greater spontaneity to form o/w emulsion, and a w/o emulsion was more likely to form when the HLDmix was positive. When the HLDmix was close to 0 (between -0.22 and 0.56 in our systems), emulsions were formed in both the oil and aqueous phases with high spontaneity. A combined effect of ultralow interfacial tension, Span-80 micelle swelling, and interfacial turbulence due to Marangoni effects is likely the main mechanism of the spontaneous emulsification observed in this study. A synergistic reduction in interfacial tension was observed between Span-80 and SLES (<1 mN/m). When the HLD of the system was close to 0, a bicontinuous emulsion phase was formed at the oil-water interface. The bicontinuous emulsion broke-up over time due to the ultralow interfacial tension and interfacial turbulence, forming dispersed oil and water droplets. Results from this work provide a practical method to suggest what surfactant composition, salinity, and oil type could promote (or eliminate) the conditions favorable for spontaneous emulsification.

TiO2–SiO2 Nanoparticle-Stabilized Soybean Oil-in-Water Emulsions: Dispersion Stability, Rolling Lubrication Performance, and Surface Self-Cleaning Effects

Abstract Vegetable oil-in-water emulsions are common cold rolling lubricants. However, maintaining the required dispersion for polar oil droplets for consistent lubrication and proper surface self-cleaning after rolling remains a practical challenge. In this study, titanium silicate TiO2–SiO2 nanoparticle (NP)-stabilized soybean oil emulsions are produced and NPs functions as dispersant, lubrication enhancer, and detergent agent to clean up oil residue are explored. Cold rolling of SS316 strips reveals a threshold of NPs wt%, at which stably dispersed oil droplets improve tribology and lower the rolling parameters relative to without or at high wt% of NPs. Cleaner as-rolled strips are also obtained with NPs. Favorable results are attributed to the formation of NP-coating layers on oil droplets which enhances dispersion, optimizes plate-out while keeping adequate wetting, and provides a three-body abrasive rolling as opposed to two-body adhesion without NPs. A model of sliding–rolling lubrication in cold rolling is also discussed.

Oil droplet formation and vertical transport in the upper ocean

The dispersion of oil droplets near ocean surface is important for evaluating the impact to the environment. Under breaking wave conditions, the surface oil experiences mainly two processes: the generation of oil droplets at/near the water surface, and the transport of oil droplets due to ocean dynamics. We investigated the vertical behavior by incorporating the transport equation and the VDROP model. The transport equation adopted the ocean dynamics by K-profile parameterization (KPP) and the impact of additional turbulence by imposing the energy dissipation rate on the ocean surface. The oil droplet distribution was obtained, and the entrained distribution and entrainment rate was computed. The results shows that although the entrained distribution and the entrainment rate shares certain consistency with previous studies, divergences are also noticed. Accordingly, the model that describes the physics should be adopted to avoid incorrect qualification of the oil concentration dispersed in the ocean.

Effects of chemical dispersant on the surface properties of kaolin and aggregation with spilled oil.

After oil spills occur, dispersed oil droplets can collide with suspended particles in the water column to form the oil-mineral aggregate (OMA) and settle to the seafloor. However, only a few studies have concerned the effect of chemical dispersant on this process. In this paper, the mechanism by which dispersant affects the surface properties of kaolin and the viscosity and oil-seawater interfacial tension (IFTow) of Roncador crude oil were separately investigated by small-scale tests. The results indicated that the presence of dispersant impairs the zeta potential and enhances the hydrophobicity of kaolin. The viscosity of Roncador crude oil rose slightly as the dosage of dispersant increased, while IFTow decreased significantly. Furthermore, the oil dispersion and OMA formation at different dispersant-to-oil ratio (DOR) were evaluated in a wave tank. When DOR was less than 1:40, the effect of dispersant on the dispersion of spilled oil was not obvious. With the increasing DOR, the effect became more pronounced, and the adhesion between oil droplets and kaolin was inhibited. The size ratio between oil droplets and particles is the significant factor for OMA formation. The closer the oil-mineral size ratio is to 1, the more difficultly the OMA forms.

Математическое моделирование коалесцентного сепаратора сооружений локальной очистки ливневых сточных вод

The article proposes a refined Euler-Lagrange mathematical model of the separation process of emulsified petroleum products and solid suspensions from atmospheric surface effluents in coalescent separators with oleophilic polymer corrugated plates. There has been carried out a numerical experiment using a model of the hydrodynamics of flow in the gaps between the plates. The adequacy of the mathematical model is confirmed by experiments on real environment. The calculation results obtained according to the developed mathematical model are the same as those obtained in the course of experiments with an accuracy of ± 9%. The model can be used to calculate coalescent separators designed to purify storm water from dispersed particles and oil droplets.

Atomization Behavior of O/W Emulsion Droplets Made with Porous Glass Membranes

We conducted an experimental study of effects of dispersed oil droplet diameter on micro-explosion of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion droplet during spheroid-type evaporation on a heated surface. The base fuel was n-dodecane, the surfactant was polyoxyethylene (6) lauryl ether. O/W emulsion was made with Shirasu Porous Glass (SPG) membrane, which is hydrophilic and has numerous and continuous pores, and then degassed. Also, the emulsion was stirred at low speed during the experiment. The hot surface temperature was 700 K, the initial droplet diameter was 1.95 mm, and the water content was 0.4. The pore diameter of the membrane was varied from 5 μm to 50 μm. The experiment of dropping the emulsion was conducted more than 30 times for each condition. The particle size distribution showed that the dispersed oil droplet diameter and its Sauter mean diameter decreased with the decrease of the membrane’s pore diameter. And as the pore diameter became smaller, the start time of phase separation was delayed. Total waiting time for disruptive microexplosion and its Weibull average increased with the decrease of the pore diameter. These results are considered to be due to the delay in the start time of phase separation as the dispersed oil droplet diameter decreases.

Silica particles with dynamic Janus surfaces in Pickering emulsion

In Pickering emulsions, solid particles are adsorbed to the oil/water interface, and the dispersed oil or water droplets are stabilized by the particles. The adsorption and wettability of the particles at the liquid-liquid interface play key roles in Pickering emulsion. In this research, the application of the silica particles with responsive surface nanostructures in Pickering emulsion is investigated. Amphiphilic surface micelles (s-micelles) on the silica particles are prepared by polymerization induced surface self-assembly approach. In water, spherical s-micelles with PS cores and quaternized poly(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) (q-PDMAEMA) shells are formed on the silica particles. In toluene, layered surface structures with PS at the top surfaces and q-PDMAEMA embedded in the inner layers, are formed. The silica particles with amphiphilic s-micelles (SiO2-ASM) can be used as stabilizers in Pickering emulsion. Upon addition of SiO2-ASM into O/W emulsion, the interfacial tension decreases significantly, due to the residence of the silica particles at the liquid-liquid interfaces. At the interfaces, the silica particles present dynamic Janus surfaces. On the sides immersed in aqueous phase, hydrophilic surfaces are produced; on the other sides immersed in toluene phase, lipophilic surface structures are formed. Both of confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy results demonstrate the formation of the silica particles armored liquid-liquid interfaces.