Presence Of Emulsifier Research Articles

Corn Oil-Water Separation: Interfacial Behavior of Extended Surfactant and Glutelin.

The purification and collection of various products from oil/water mixtures are routine procedures. However, the presence of emulsifiers that can displace other surface active components in the mixtures can significantly influence the efficiency of such procedures. Previously, we investigated interfacial mechanisms of zein protein-induced emulsification and the opposing surfactant-induced demulsification related to corn oil refinement. In this paper, we further investigated a different class of protein, glutelin, inside corn and proved that glutelin acts as an oil/water emulsifier in an acidic water environment. Furthermore, an extended surfactant's protein disordering and removal ability was tested and compared with a conventional surfactant. An extended surfactant contains a poly(propylene oxide) or poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) chain inserted between the hydrophilic head and the hydrophobic tail. In this study, a nonlinear optical spectroscopic technique, sum frequency generation (SFG) vibration spectroscopy, was used to study the behavior of glutelin and extended as well as regular surfactants at the corn oil/water or aqueous solution interface. In most cases, the conventional surfactant shows better protein disordering or removal ability than the extended surfactant. However, with the addition of heat and salt to an extended surfactant solution, the experiment resulted in a substantial increase in the extended surfactant's protein disorder or removal ability.

Polygalacturonase treatment affects carotenoid absorption from veggie juice

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of polygalacturonase (PG) treatment on carotenoid absorption upon digestion of HPH-treated combined peach and carrot juice (CJ) with or without the presence of lipids. Results showed that PG treatment reduced median particle diameter (D50) and viscosity of CJ, and increased total carotenoid bioaccessibility by 41%. In the presence of emulsion, the bioaccessibility of carotenoids was higher and it was not significantly affected by PG treatment. Xanthophylls (lutein and zeaxanthin) had higher bioaccessibility than the more lipophilic carotenes (β-carotene and α-carotene); also, uptake in Caco-2 cells and transport of lutein and zeaxanthin were higher than for β-carotene and α-carotene. Individual carotenoids bioaccessibility was negatively correlated with their transport. All together data showed digestion and absorption processes were two independent processes: factors improving carotenoid bioaccessibility did not necessarily affect their bioavailability.

The Use of Temperature and Waste Diapers in the Demulsification Process of Crude Oil Samples

Currently, the oil wells in Indonesia are getting older, the older the oil well shows the greater the water content, which will cause the formation of a water-in-oil emulsion. The presence of emulsion that occurs in crude oil will cause a decrease in oil quality and oil production. Therefore, a demulsifier is needed to overcome these problems. Because the existing demulsifier are still very few variants and are not environmentally friendly, a new type of demulsifier that is environmentally friendly is needed. Baby diapers can be used as a new type of demulsifier because baby diapers contain Polymer Superasorbent (SAP) which can absorb 200 times water [1]. Superabsorbent Polymer has inert and hydrophilic properties with the working principle of absorbing and trapping water in the emulsion formed on crude oil. In this experiment, the author uses baby diaper waste to separate water and oil in the emulsion formed on the P#441 crude oil sample at a temperature of 26.70C, 400C, and 500C with a centrifuge with a speed of 500, 1000, and 1500. RPM in 1, 2, and 3 minutes. Demulsification process occurs faster in crude oil sample at a temperature of 500C because of high temperatures can accelerate the process demulsification. The use of baby diapers as nashi demulsifier is in its early stages and can be developed further, but it has been proven to accelerate the demulsification process in the emulsion formed by sample P#441.

Effect of particle morphology on reactivity, ignition and combustion of boron powders

Spherical boron powders with 2–20 µm sized particles were prepared by ball milling commercial boron in the presence of emulsion with hexane and acetonitrile serving as the continuous and droplet phases, respectively. A small amount of Fluorel®, a fluorocarbon serving as binder was dissolved in the acetonitrile. For comparison, an irregularly-shaped boron powder was prepared by milling commercial boron with the same acetonitrile/Fluorel® solution. Reactivity of the spherical boron powders was compared to those of milled and as received commercial powders with irregularly-shaped particles. Thermo-gravimetric measurements in Ar/O2 gas flow showed that milling boron with or without Fluorel® shifts the onset of boron oxidation to lower temperatures. The rate of initial oxidation was greater for the finer spherical powders compared to coarser spheres and to irregularly shaped milled powder. The milling did not appreciably change the activation energy of oxidation of boron and the observed accelerated oxidation was attributed to its increased specific surface area. Two of the finer prepared spherical powders could be ignited when coated on an electrically heated filament in the temperature range of ca. 600 – 1000 °C. Commercial powders, irregularly-shaped milled powder, and coarser spherical powders did not ignite. All boron powders aerosolized and ignited in an enclosed vessel in air generated similar pressures. In another experiment, blended boron and potassium nitrate powders were heated to ignition in room air using a laser beam. The ignition delays for the blends made with spherical powders were substantially shorter vs. similar blends with commercial powder. Combustion of the blends with spherical powders was more vigorous than with commercial boron. Particles were ejected more rapidly, and had shorter apparent burn times.

Effect of Emulsifiers on the Quality of Palm Oil Based Shortening during Variable Temperature Storage.

The quality and processing characters of shortening are strongly influenced by the temperature fluctuation during storage and handling. Some chemical components, especially the presence of emulsifiers in shortening formula might be attributed to the quality change of shortening in response to temperature fluctuation. In this work, the effect of emulsifiers on the mechanical properties, crystalline structure, and crystalline transformation of fat was investigated with a palm oil-based shortening under varied storage temperature (4°C, 12 h - 28°C, 12 h, cycle reciprocating). Results show that the shortening without emulsifiers deteriorated easily with a severe separation of liquid oil and reduction of hardness, which was owing to the aggregation of crystals, and the appearance to high proportion of β crystals at the later stage in storage (day 7 and day 14). However, the addition of the emulsifiers such as sorbitan monopalmitate (SMP), Glyceryl monostearate (GMS), and Glycerol monopalmitate (GMP) ameliorated the production of β crystals effectively. Among the tested emulsifiers, the shortening adding GMS showed the best quality, which remained stable in multiple cycles up to 14 times. The findings will guide the use of emulsifiers in palm fat processing.

Addition of Trans-Resveratrol-Loaded Highly Concentrated Double Emulsion to Yoghurts: Effect on Physicochemical Properties.

Trans-resveratrol (RSV) needs to be encapsulated to maintain its beneficial properties on the human body. This is due to its extreme photosensitivity, short biological half-life, and easy oxidation. In this study, the use of double emulsions for RSV encapsulation and their further application on functional yoghurts was studied. Different types of yoghurts were prepared: with and without RSV and with two types of volumetric emulsion formulations (20/80 and 30/70). In order to study the influence of the addition of double emulsions to the physical properties of the prepared yoghurts, they were characterised fresh and after a month under storage at 4 °C, in terms of droplet size, morphology, stability, rheology, texturometry, colorimetry, and antioxidant capacity. Results obtained showed that the presence of emulsion in the yoghurts produced a generalised decrease in the predominant droplet size (from 48 µm to 15–25 µm) and an increase in the stability. Additionally, a predominantly elastic character was observed. The firmness values obtained were very similar for all the yoghurts analysed and did not suffer important modifications with time. A slight colour variation was observed with storage time in the control sample, whereas a more notable variation in the case of emulsion yoghurts was observed. An appreciable increase of the antioxidant capacity of the final functional yoghurt (100 g) was observed when it contained 5–8 mg of RSV. Encapsulated RSV added to yoghurts presented a larger protection against RSV oxidation compared with free RSV, presenting a larger antioxidant inhibition after one month of storage. Moreover, the antioxidant capacity of yoghurts with encapsulated RSV was not affected under storage, since slight reductions (3%) were registered after one month of storage at 4 °C.

TLBfind: a Thermal Lattice Boltzmann code for concentrated emulsions with FINite-size Droplets

In this paper, we present TLBfind, a GPU code for simulating the hydrodynamics of droplets along with a dynamic temperature field. TLBfind hinges on a two-dimensional multi-component lattice Boltzmann (LB) model simulating a concentrated emulsion with finite-size droplets evolving in a thermal convective state, just above the transition from conduction to convection. The droplet concentration of the emulsion system is tunable and at the core of the code lies the possibility to measure a large number of physical observables characterising the flow and droplets. Furthermore, TLBfind includes a parallel implementation on GPU of the Delaunay triangulation useful for the detection of droplets' plastic rearrangements, and several types of boundary conditions, supporting simulations of channels with structured rough walls. Program summaryProgram Title: TLBfindCPC Library link to program files:https://doi.org/10.17632/hbk45696nf.1Developer's repository link:https://github.com/FrancescaPelusi/TLBfindLicensing provisions: MITProgramming language: CUDA-CNature of problem: Hydrodynamics of concentrated emulsions with finite-size droplets in a thermal convective state.Solution method: Single relaxation time Lattice Boltzmann method to solve Navier-Stokes equations for fluids, coupled with the temperature field dynamics. The output describes the dynamics of finite-size droplets of concentrated emulsions in presence of a temperature field. The temperature field obeys the advection-diffusion equation.Additional comments including restrictions and unusual features: Plastic rearrangements of droplets are detected via the parallel implementation of the Delaunay triangulation, and boundary conditions are tunable.

Form-stable n-hexadecane/zinc borate composite phase change material for thermal energy storage applications in buildings

Phase change materials (PCMs), which have been in trend in recent years, are smart materials that allow energy to be stored in the form of latent heat in a specific temperature interval without losses. These materials have a wide range of uses and can be used extensively in building applications thus reducing the high energy costs. In this study, preparation of form-stable n-hexadecane (n-HD) /zinc borate (ZB) composite PCM for building applications was aimed. For this aim; n-HD as PCM was integrated with one-step impregnation into a porous polyHIPE composite matrix which is fabricated via polymerization reaction of styrene-divinyl benzene-based high internal phase emulsion in presence of sonochemically synthesized nano-sized ZB. The polyHIPE composite matrix and form-stable n-HD/ZB composite PCM were fully characterized by using physical, chemical and morphological methods namely Brunauer–Emmet–Teller surface area analysis, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy. Furthermore, heat storage rate of the obtained composite material was also increased with the addition of ZB besides its thermal stability and surface area. As a result, it can be said that a promising composite PCM was fabricated having 123 J/g thermal energy storage capacity that is suitable for application in buildings by means of its thermal and leakproof properties.

Nanoemulsion and emulsion vitamin D3 fortified edible film based on quince seed gum

In this research, emulsions and nanoemulsions containing two concentrations of vitamin D were added to quince seed gum film and its properties were examined. Incorporation of emulsified oil droplets to the films structure was confirmed by FTIR. It was observed that presence of emulsion and nanoemulsion in the films, increased their thickness, opacity, and hydrophobicity and interaction of the gum chains with water molecules was decreased and so, water vapor permeability, water solubility, and moisture content decreased. Due to the penetration of oil molecules to the chain, the resultant films had higher elongation at break and lower tensile strength. SEM micrographs of samples showed instability of the oil droplets within the matrix. Vitamin content during 14 days of storage showed that it was more stable at lower concentration and in the nanoemulsion compared to emulsion. So, quince seed gum films containing vitamin can be introduces as an ideal edible packaging.

The presence of crystalline sugar limits the influence of emulsifiers on cocoa butter crystallization

The effects of 2 wt% emulsifier and crystalline sugar on the isothermal solidification and polymorphic behavior of cocoa butter were evaluated. The emulsifiers investigated were commercial soy lecithin, polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR), citric acid esters of mono- and diacylglycerols (CITREM) and ammonium phosphatides (AP). All emulsifiers accelerated cocoa butter nucleation and growth from the melt, with PGPR showing the smallest enhancement. Lecithin and AP minimally affected the polymorphic form IV-to-V transition contrary to PGPR and CITREM, whichboth promoted the formation of form V crystals. The presence of sugar alone accelerated cocoa butter solidification while limiting the ability of the emulsifiers to do so. Sugar alone, and in the presence of emulsifier, hindered the polymorphic form IV-to-V transition. This study shows that the effects of emulsifiers on the isothermal crystallization of cocoa butter can be muted in the presence of crystalline sugar, suggesting a complex interplay dependent on emulsifier molecular structure.

Delayed yielding of oil/water emulsions in presence of stabilizing biopolymer

AbstractThis study investigates the stabilization of oil/water emulsions as a function of addition of a biopolymer (scleroglucan) which acts as an emulsion stabilizer. Rheological characterization in the form of controlled stress creep measurements has been carried out and it reveals the colloidal gel exhibiting a delayed yielding in a certain applied stress window. The delay time and stresses that an emulsion can withstand depend strongly on the concentration of added scleroglucan. Increasing polymer concentration, however, is limited to a maximum value, above which a limited effect on the delay time is observed. Investigating of the emulsion under study was visualized by means of cryo transmission electron microscopy which shows adsorption of scleroglucan onto the surface of the oil particles and a gel‐like structure that connects the oil phases. The results mentioned in this study support that scleroglucan‐surfactant interactions play a key role in the stabilization of the oil/water emulsion.

Agglomeration–Flotation of Finely Ground Chalcopyrite Using Emulsified Oil Stabilized by Emulsifiers: Implications for Porphyry Copper Ore Flotation

Flotation is the conventional method for processing porphyry copper deposits, one of the most economically important sources of copper (Cu) worldwide. The rapidly decreasing grade of this type of Cu ore in recent years, however, presents serious problems with fine particle recovery using conventional flotation circuits. This low recovery could be attributed to the low collision efficiency of fine particles and air bubbles during flotation. To improve collision efficiency and flotation recovery, agglomeration of finely ground chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) (D50 = 3.5 μm) using emulsified oil stabilized by emulsifiers was elucidated in this study. Specifically, the effects of various types of anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), potassium amyl xanthate (KAX)), cationic (dodecyl amine acetate (DAA)), and non-ionic (polysorbate 20 (Tween 20)) emulsifiers on emulsified oil stability and agglomeration–flotation efficiency were investigated. When emulsifiers were added, the average size of agglomerates increased, resulting in higher Cu recovery during flotation. This dramatic improvement in flotation efficiency could be attributed to the smaller oil droplet size in emulsified oil and their higher stability in the presence of emulsifiers. The utilization of emulsifiers during agglomeration–flotation not only lowered the required agitation strength for agglomeration but also shortened the agglomeration time, both of which made the process easier to incorporate in existing flotation circuits.

Corn Oil-Water Separation: Interactions of Proteins and Surfactants at Corn Oil/Water Interfaces.

Purification and collection of industrial products from oil-water mixtures are commonly implemented processes. However, the efficiencies of such processes can be severely influenced by the presence of emulsifiers that induce the formation of small oil droplets dispersed in the mixtures. Understanding of this emulsifying effect and its counteractions which occur at the oil/water interface is therefore necessary for the improvement of designs of these processes. In this paper, we investigated the interfacial mechanisms of protein-induced emulsification and the opposing surfactant-induced demulsification related to corn oil refinement. At corn oil/water interfaces, the pH-dependent emulsifying function of zein protein, which is the major storage protein of corn, was elucidated by the surface/interface-sensitive sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy technique. The effective stabilization of corn oil droplets by zein protein was illustrated and correlated to its ordered amide I group at the oil/water interface. Substantial decrease of this ordering with the addition of three industrial surfactants to corn oil-zein solution mixtures was also observed using SFG, which explains the surfactant-induced destabilization and coalescence of small oil droplets. Surfactant-protein interaction was then demonstrated to be the driving force for the disordering of interfacial proteins, either by disrupting protein layers or partially excluding protein molecules from the interface. The ordered zein proteins at the interface were therefore revealed to be the critical factor for the formation of corn oil-water emulsion.

Formation and stability of W/O emulsions in presence of asphaltene at reservoir thermodynamic conditions

In-situ formation of W/O (water-in-oil) emulsion in oil reservoirs is gaining increased attention particularly for EOR purposes. In this process, asphaltic components may serve as a stabilizer for W/O emulsions, which may result in higher viscosity of injected fluid front causing improved oil recovery. In this study, the effect of temperature and pressure on the formation and stability of W/O emulsions were evaluated by a high pressure-high temperature (HP-HT) test apparatus in order to simulate as close as possible to reservoir conditions. The experimental results showed that the stability of the emulsions reduced as temperature increased from 25 to 110 °C. The relationship between pressure and the emulsion stability, on the other hand, is more complicated where an increase in emulsion stability was shown with pressure when it reaches a plateau at 27579.0 kPa (4000 psia) with a decrease afterwards. Based on the experimental results, different mechanisms dominate in each pressure interval. In the first pressure interval (3447.4 to 27,579.0 kPa) the break-up of the dispersed phase droplets caused by the exerted shear energy, which makes the dispersed phase droplets smaller in size, where W/O surface coverage of the asphaltene was important. In the second interval pressure (27,579.0 to 41,368.5 kPa), the reduction of emulsifier (asphaltene) due to the increased pressure in the dead oil showed a much lower stable emulsion. Thus, at pressures below 27,579.0 kPa with increased pressure, the mechanism of increased shear energy prevailed. For the pressure interval of 27,579.0 to 41,368.5 kPa though, as pressure increased, asphaltene precipitation decreased at the water/oil interface.

Optimization of the enzymatic hydrolysis ofMoringa oleiferaLam oil using molecular docking analysis for fatty acid specificity

Alternative strategies are required to develop the optimized production of fatty acids using biocatalysis; molecular docking and response surface methodology are efficient tools to achieve this goal. In the present study, we demonstrate a novel and robust methodology for the sustainable production of fatty acids from Moringa oleifera Lam oil using lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis (without the presence of emulsifiers or buffer solutions). Seven commercial lipases from Candida rugosa (CRL), Burkholderia cepacia (BCL), Thermomyces lanuginosus (TLL), Rhizopus niveus (RNL), Pseudomonas fluorescens (PFL), Mucor javanicus (MJL), and porcine pancreas (PPL) were used as biocatalysts. Initial screening showed that CRL had the highest hydrolytic activity (hydrolysis degree of 81%). Molecular docking analysis contributed to the experimental results, showing that CRL displays more stable binding free energy with oleic acid (C18:1), which is the fatty acid of highest concentration in Moringa oleifera Lam oil. To evaluate and optimize the hydrolysis process, response surface methodology (RSM) was used. The effect of temperature, mass ratio oil:water, and hydrolytic activity on enzymatic hydrolysis was evaluated by central composite design using RSM. Under the optimized conditions (temperature of 37°C, mass ratio oil:water of 25%, and hydrolytic activity of 550Ugoil -1 ), the maximum hydrolysis degree (100%) was achieved. The present study provides a robust method for the enzymatic hydrolysis of different oils for efficient and sustainable fatty acid production.

Squalane-based emulsion vaccine delivery system: composition with murabutide activate Th1 response

Emulsions play an important role in present-day subunit vaccine delivery. Squalane-based emulsion was formulated using surfactants viz., Pluronic F68, Span 85 along with Murabutide (MB) as immunepotentiator. Particle size and zetapotential of the final optimized emulsion was found to be 134 nm and −13 mV, respectively. The in vitro cellular uptake studies performed using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled ovalbumin (OVA) clearly revealed the rapid uptake of antigen in the presence of emulsion. The in vivo subcutaneous studies involving measurement of OVA-specific IgG antibody titers, Th1/Th2 cytokines were performed and a marked up regulation in IL-2, IL-12 and IFN-γ cytokines indicate Th1 immune response. Results supported that the squalane-based delivery system enhanced the uptake of the antigen by immune cells and elicited humoral as well as cell-mediated immune response in mice. These results indicate the promising application of the new squalane based oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion as capable vaccine delivery system useful for vaccine development.

Influence of Oxidized Oils on Digestibility of Caseins in O/W Emulsions

The impact of lipid oxidation on protein modifications in emulsions and the consequences on protein digestibility remains unclear. In this study, this impact is evaluated in casein (6 mg mL−1) based emulsions containing oxidized soybean or fish oil (3%) in presence (0.3%) or absence of the emulsifier Tween 20. Emulsions are prepared using oils at three oxidation levels and subsequently the impact on protein digestibility is evaluated after 24 h incubation at 4 °C. Remarkably, protein digestibility increass in emulsions containing medium and highly oxidized fish oil: 70 ± 0.4% and 73 ± 0.4% of the proteins are digested, respectively, whereas protein digestibility in emulsions containing low oxidized fish oil amounted to 63 ± 0.4%. Protein digestibility in emulsions containing soybean oil stabilized by Tween 20 is not influenced by the oxidation level of the oil used. A remarkable tendency is observed for the malondialdehyde content of the emulsions depending on the presence of Tween 20. For soybean oil based emulsions, malondialdehyde concentrations are consistently higher in the presence of Tween 20. On the other hand, for the fish oil based emulsions an opposite trend is observed, except at the highest oxidation level evaluated, for which no significant differences can be detected. It is concluded that the composition of the interface in emulsions depends strongly upon the degree of oil oxidation and the presence of other emulsifiers. If the oil is more oxidized, less protein is present in the interface restricting the impact of lipid oxidation products on the proteins and hence their digestibility.Practical Applications: This research was done to highlight the relevance of the interfacial composition in food emulsions and its influence on dairy protein digestibility. The food industry must be aware of the oil quality and the presence of emulsifiers in foods emulsions that allow to preserve the stability and nutritional characteristics of these food emulsions.This article aims to evaluate the impact of the reactions occurring between lipid oxidation products and proteins in emulsions on protein digestibility. This impact is evaluated in casein based emulsions containing oxidized soybean or fish oil (3%) in presence or absence of an emulsifier (0.3%). Emulsions are prepared using three oxidation levels and subsequently the impact on protein digestibility is evaluated after 24 h incubation at 4 °C. It is concluded that the composition of the interface in emulsions depends strongly upon the degree of oil oxidation and the presence of other emulsifiers.

Biopolymer scleroglucan as an emulsion stabilizer

In this study, we investigated the Stabilization of bitumen emulsions by scleroglucan, a rigid triple-helix forming biopolymer, in combination with a pH-sensitive cationic surfactant. Various aspects of the emulsification process and the final composition influence the Stabilization. We examined two different methods to add scleroglucan to the emulsion: either by adding it to the aqueous surfactant solution before emulsification, denoted ‘pre-emulsification addition’ (pre-EA), or by addition to the emulsion after emulsification (post-EA). We investigated scleroglucan concentrations in the aqueous phase ranging between 0.017 and 0.07 w/w%. The emulsions were evaluated according to the European EN 13808 standard used for cationic bituminous emulsions, as well as by rheological analysis. We observed an improvement of the storage stability upon pre-EA at a biopolymer concentration as low as 0.017 w/w% in combination with an increased particle size, whereas the breaking index (characterising breaking of the emulsion in presence of ‘aggregates’ = stones) was not influenced. The rheological data show a minor viscosity increase by scleroglucan in the pre-EA formulation at low scleroglucan concentrations (0.017–0.05 wt.%) where Stabilization already improved dramatically. This indicates that the stabilization mechanism is not only governed by a viscosity increase but also by interfacial stabilisation effects were polymer is adsorbed onto the adsorbed surfactant. In a separate experiment we changed the conformation of scleroglucan by subjecting it to extreme pH values and by dissolution in DMSO, in order to study the role of the triple helix conformation in the stabilization mechanism. Scleroglucan becomes less effective in a denatured and hydrolysed state confirming the crucial role of the triple helix conformation in the Stabilization of bitumen emulsions.

Investigating the Potential Use of Ionic Liquids in Pre-Treatment Application for Water Desalination

The world has been noticing a quickening advancement over the last decades in terms of irrigated agriculture, social, industrial, and economical perspectives; followed by a huge increment in the water demand. Therefore, desalination is used all over the world to reduce worldwide water shortage; however, the traditional techniques lead to fossil fuel depletion and global warming. Therefore, scientists are investigating new green and environment-friendly methods to be used by the desalination plants to reduce CO2 emissions and save the natural resources. In this study, the feasibility of using ionic liquids (ILs) as potential means for pre-treatment of seawater desalination was examined. The main aim of this work was to examine the ability of ILs in extracting salts from saline water. As a first step, the solubility of NaCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2 in different ILs at different temperatures were analyzed. The solubility of the salts in ILs increased in most cases with temperature increments; however, the presence of emulsion was seen in a few cases. The highest measured concentration of NaCl was 6,639 ppm at 60 °C in 1,3-Dimethylimidazolium dimethyl phosphate.

Palm oil anionic surfactants based emulsion breaker (Case study of emulsions breaker at Semanggi Field production wells)

The presence of emulsion in oil production process is undesirable. The emulsion will increase the production costs, transportation and costs related to emulsion separation process between water and oil. The development of palm oil-based surfactant as an emulsion breaker needs to be conducted given the availability of abundant raw materials in Indonesia and as an alternative to petroleum-based surfactant. The purpose of this study is to produce palm oil-based emulsion breaker, assessing the effect of additive application to the emulsion breaker and analyze the performance of the emulsion breaker. This research was conducted by formulating palm oil anionic surfactant in water formation with the addition of co-surfactant additive and co-solvent. Palm oil anionic surfactant-based emulsion breaker with 0.5% concentration in water can reduce 50% of emulsions with the interfacial tension (IFT) of 2.33x10-2 dyne/cm. The addition of co-solvent (toluene: xylene) is able to remove the emulsion formed with a lower IFT namely 10-3 dyne / cm. The resulting emulsion breaker is capable to remove the emulsion between water and oil. The performance test of emulsion breaker show that the emulsion is able to maintain its performance at reservoir temperature with no indicate of plugging and the value generated incremental oil recovery values is 13%.