Natural Surfactant Solutions Research Articles

Comparison of bubble parameters in natural and chemical surfactant solutions: a force analysis

The authors have investigated the potential of a plant-based natural surfactant in the modification of various bubble parameters. Bubble dynamics at the orifice were studied in natural surfactant solutions extracted from the plant Sapindus mukorossi at concentrations below and above its critical micellar concentration (CMC). The results were compared to the ones obtained with Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate solutions. The CMC values of Sapindus mukorossi and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate are 7.5 × 10−3 g/cc and 2.39 × 10−3 g/cc, respectively. A photographic method was employed to observe bubble formation at the orifice. The results show that biosurfactants, like chemical surfactants, have a comparable effect on bubble density, size, and rise velocity. Experimentally determined bubble radius, volume, and radial velocity were used to calculate various forces contributing to the bubble dynamics. The buoyancy, pressure, and surface tension forces were significantly stronger in magnitude in comparison to the gas momentum, viscous drag, and added mass forces. Our findings suggest that the significance of various dynamic forces involved in bubble growth dynamics varies according to the bubble generation frequency regimes. We report for the first time the potential of Sapindus mukorossi in altering bubble properties and surface forces at the orifice and its usage in various bubble-related industrial applications.

Xanthan gum-added natural surfactant solution of Chuback: A green and clean technique for enhanced oil recovery

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is one of the most important branches of petroleum engineering. For this purpose, the surfactant flooding method remains one of the primary methods because of the prospects of wettability adjustment and a decrease in oil-water interfacial tension (IFT). However, environmental load and high costs make synthetic organic surfactants flooding inefficient and uneconomical under certain conditions. A new natural surfactant, viz. Chuback, was introduced in this study because natural surfactants are environmentally benign, nonhazardous, and cost-effective. The effects of adding bio-based xanthan gum (XG) and increasing the salinity on the wettability adjustment, IFT, rheological behaviors, and core flooding characteristics were investigated in terms of the performance of the designed surfactant-polymer flooding system. The results showed that Chuback is very efficient in wettability alteration from an oil-wet state to a water-wet state with an increase in the oil droplet contact angle in the carbonate (from 16.71° to 60.52°) and sandstone (from 8.87° to 50.1°) rock cores. In addition to the 28.6% higher oil recovery in the carbonate core, effective IFT reduction of 74%, and almost optimum mobility ratio (M = 1.01), Chuback exhibited excellent improvement in its rheological properties in the presence of XG, even under high-salinity conditions; its effect was comparable to that of commonly used synthetic surfactants. Thus, in this study, we successfully determined the application of Chuback as a suitable candidate for EOR purposes.

Prenatal Intraamniotic Surfactant Administration Improves Lung Function at Birth and the Effects of Conventional Postdelivery Treatment in Animal Model. A Randomized Controled Trial

Introduction: Surfactant diluted in the pulmonary fluid at birth promove airway formation and prevents lung injury, for this reason some investigators have proposed that actual surfactant prophylaxis in high risk preterm deliveries, should be done before the first breath, perhaps in-uteri. Objetive: to evaluate if intraamniotic surfactant plus conventional neonatal instillation improves respiratory outcome outcome compared with only conventional neonatal instillation. Materials and Methods: randomized, controlled and double blinded protocol in a model of very immature born lambs. 125 days pregnant ewes received, with ultrasound guide, an intraamniotic injection of 240 mg of natural bovine surfactant or normal saline solution. After one hour of fetal breathing movement's stimulation with aminophylline the premature lamb’s fetuses were delivered by C-section, and a 3-mm endotracheal tube was placed by tracheotomy. Heart rate, aortic blood pressure, central temperature, respiratory rate and hemoglobin saturation, as well as mechanical ventilator settings, were continuously monitored. Variables under study were: Peak Inspiratory Pressure (PIP), Mean Airway Pressure (MAP), Oxygenation Index (OI) and Arterio-Alveolar Ratio (a/A). Conclusion: Prenatal intraamniotic surfactant instillation improves short-term respiratory outcome compared with conventional postpartum treatment in this animal model.

Feasibility Investigation of A Novel Natural Surfactant Extracted from Eucalyptus Leaves for Enhanced Oil Recovery of Carbonates: Experimental Study

After primary and secondary oil production from carbonate reservoirs, approximately 60% oil-in-place remains in the pore space of reservoir rocks. Chemical flooding is one of the promising ways to produce the remained oil. Nowadays, surfactant flooding is a low-cost and a common method generally used to improve oil recovery due to the oil-water Interfacial Tension (IFT) reduction and alteration of the rock wettability to water-wet state, leading to decrease the capillary number. In this study, a novel leaf-derived non-ionic natural surfactant, named Eucalyptus is introduced and the capability of this natural surfactant for IFT reduction and wettability alteration is analyzed. Accordingly, the natural surfactant was derived from Eucalyptus leaves and the effect of natural surfactant solution on the Oil-water IFT and carbonate rock wettability alteration was investigated. The results demonstrated that the addressed natural surfactant significantly reduced IFT value from 35.2 mN/m to 10.5 mN/m (at CMC of 3.5 wt. %) and the contact angle value from 140.6° to 60.2°. As a result, Compared to conventional chemical surfactants, the Eucalyptus natural surfactant had an excellent surface chemical activity and confirmed its performance by laboratory experiments which could be used for EOR applications.

Evaluation of the influence of green extraction solvents on the cytotoxic activities of Crinum (Amaryllidaeae) alkaloid extracts using in-vitro-in-silico approach

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe traditional use of Amaryllidaceae plants to treat many disease have been known for a very long period of time. The chemical analysis of these plants has yielded a diversity of alkaloids with analgesic, anticholinergic, antitumor and antiviral activities. Crinum bulbispermum (Burm.f.) Milne-Redh. & Schweick in particular has been used by Zulu, Sotho and Tswana people to treat tumors as a form of chemotherapy, while in Madagascar, Crinum powellii Baker Handb. was used in the treatment of abscesses and tumors. Many of the alkaloids spawned by genus Crinum will surely take part in the production of anticancer drugs but their further clinical development is restricted by their limited commercial availability. An emerging area of research is the establishment of green extraction techniques of different targeted compounds. Aim of the studyOur comparative study has investigated the possibility of getting improved biological responses by changing extraction solvent to a better and greener one. This study aimed to assess the cytotoxic activity of Crinum powellii and Crinum bulbispermum bulbs, when extracted by different green solvents. Materials and methodsThe green solvents Genapol X-80 (a surfactant-aided extraction), DES-3 (Choline chloride: fructose 5:2) mixture (a natural deep eutectic solvent) and purified distilled water were used for extraction of the bulbs. Extracts were tested against two cell lines HEPG-2 and HCT 116, with doxorubicin as a positive reference. Molecular docking studies were carried out to illustrate binding orientations of the alkaloids in the active site of several molecular targets for treatment of hepatic and colorectal cancer. ResultsDES aided extraction showed highest cytotoxicity against the two cell lines, followed by surfactant aided extracts and finally aqueous extracts. There is an obvious relationship between alkaloidal content and antiproliferative potency of extracts. Multivariate statistical analyses were performed to aid the prediction of the alkaloids responsible for the activity. The alkaloid crinine showed high correlation coefficient value against HCT colon cancer cell line in the orthogonal projection to latent structures (OPLS) model, suggesting that it could operate with a selective mode of action on this cell line. In addition, the alkaloid lycorine had almost no correlation to anti-proliferative activity against HCT colon cancer cells. Molecular docking studies confirmed the same conclusions. ConclusionHerein, it was demonstrated that natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) components and surfactant solutions could be chosen to enhance biological activity of extracts prepared.

Effect of nano silica particles on Interfacial Tension (IFT) and mobility control of natural surfactant (Cedr Extraction) solution in enhanced oil recovery process by nano - surfactant flooding

Natural surfactant is a new kind of surfactants which has been introduced in recent years in petroleum industry. It is cheap, abundant and environmental friendly. On the other hand, nano particles have received increasing attention in upstream industry in the last decade. In this communication, Cedr Extraction (CE) as natural surfactant and nano silica were used. The influence of CE and nano particles on Interfacial Tension (IFT) of aqueous phase was studied using Pendant Drop method. The effect of nano particles on mobility control was then investigated using the results of core flooding. By increasing the surfactant concentration from 0 to 10wt%, it was observed that the IFT of kerosene and aqueous phase reduces from 35 to 11.9mN/m; increasing the nano silica concentration from 0 to 2500ppm causes the reduction in IFT value from 15.5 to 13mN/m. Using pH method for investigating the CMC point of different concentrations of CE solution indicates that 5wt% of CE in 100,000ppm brine represents the CMC point. Repeating the above methods for different concentrations of nano silica in 5wt% of CE solution shows that 1000ppm of nano silica represents the CMC point. Adding nano silica causes increasing oil recovery from 53% (by flooding with CE solution) to 74%, in sandstone core.

Effect of Natural Leaf-derived Surfactants on Wettability Alteration and Interfacial Tension Reduction in Water-oil System: EOR Application

In this study, two types of plants based natural cationic surfactants, named Mulberry and Henna are introduced and the application of these natural surfactants in wettability alteration of reservoir rock and reducing the interfacial tension of water-oil system is investigated. For this purpose, two natural-based surfactants were extracted from the leaves of the trees of addressed plants and then the interfacial tension (IFT) values between oil and natural surfactant solution and also the contact angle values between natural surfactant solution and rock sample were measured. The results demonstrated that Mulberry extract was able to lower the interfacial tension between oil and distilled water from 43.9 to 4.01 mN/m, while Henna extract could reduce the IFT from 43.9 to 3.05 mN/m. These natural surfactants were also able to reduce the contact angle of rock/fluid system which shows the wettability is altering to water wet system and so it may increase recovery factor by reducing residual oil saturation and Henna extract could reduce the contact angle more than that of Mulberry leaf extract. According to these results in addition to the low price of generating natural surfactants, the feasibility of using these kinds of surfactants in future oil recovery processes is of major concern.

Experimental Investigation of Matricaria chamomilla Extract Effect on Oil-Water Interfacial Tension: Usable for Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery

Recently, natural surfactants had been studied for chemical enhanced oil recovery as opposite to synthetic surfactants due to environmental problems associated with synthetic surfactants. In this study a new plant based natural surfactant, Matricaria chamomilla, is introduced. For this purpose, the interfacial tension values between natural surfactant solution and oil are measured by using the pendant drop method. The results show that Matricaria chamomilla decreased the oil-water interfacial tension values from 30.63 to 12.57 mN/m. Results confirm surface chemical activity of Matricaria chamomilla in comparison with other natural surfactants.

Feasibility study of new natural leaf-derived surfactants on the IFT in an oil–aqueous system: experimental investigation

Surfactant flooding is an Enhanced Oil Recovery technique used for decreasing oil trapping in pore spaces by reducing the interfacial tension (IFT) between oil and water. In this study, three types of plants based on natural cationic surfactants, named Olive, Spistan and Prosopis, are introduced and the application of these natural surfactants in reducing the interfacial tension of water–oil system is investigated. For this purpose, three natural-based surfactants were extracted from the leaves of the trees of addressed plants and then the interfacial tension values between oil and natural surfactant solution were measured using the pendant drop method. The results demonstrated that Olive extract was able to lower the IFT between kerosene and distilled water from 36.5 to 14 mN/m, while Spistan and Prosopis extract could reduce the IFT from 36.5 to 20.15 mN/m and 36.5 to 15.11 mN/m, respectively. According to these results in addition to the low price of generating natural surfactants, the feasibility of using these kinds of surfactants in future oil recovery processes is of major concern.

Experimental investigation of Seidlitzia rosmarinus effect on oil–water interfacial tension: Usable for chemical enhanced oil recovery

In this paper, a new plant based natural cationic surfactant, named Seidlitzia rosmarinus, is introduced, and the viability of using this natural surfactant as an alternate to synthetic surfactants for chemical enhanced oil recovery is investigated. For this purpose, the interfacial tension values between natural surfactant solution and oil are measured by using the pendant drop method. The results show that Seidlitzia rosmarinus decreased the interfacial tension values from 32 to 9 mN/m. Results confirm the fair surface activity of Seidlitzia rosmarinus in comparison with other natural and synthetic surfactants. Accordingly, this natural surfactant can be used as a surfactant for chemical enhanced oil recovery.

90 Surfactant Lung Lavage and Inhaled Nitric Oxide in The Treatment of Meconium Aspiration Syndrome 2- Influence on Duration of Mechanical Ventilation, Inhalation of Nitric Oxide, Hospitalization, and Complications

The most severe clinical problem which coexist with the meconium aspiration syndrome/MAS/is persistent pulmonary hypertension/PPHN/.The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of treatment of MAS for selected clinical parameters. The designed therapeutic approach consisted of surfactant lung lavage/SLL/and surfactant instillation together with Nitric Oxide inhalation/iNO/. The study population was randomized into two groups: group A/n= 7/treated with SLL, surfactant instillation and iNO, and group B/n= 6/treated with surfactant instillation and iNO. Criteria for inclusion: maturity >35 weeks of gestation, time after delivery < 24hours, presence of fluid containing meconium below vocal cords, respiratory insufficiency demanding mechanical ventilation/Fi0240%/, radiological changes, and echocardiographic features of pulmonary hypertension.Method: SLL was performed with natural surfactant solution (Survanta, Ross Abbott Laboratories) in concentration of 5mg of phospholipids/1 ml 0,9% NaCl, a dose of 15ml of solution per 1 kg. A dose of 100 mg of Surfactant per 1 kg was applied. The initial NO dose was 20 ppm. The parameters analyzed: duration of IMV, duration of iNO, duration of hospitalization, air leaks and deaths.Results: (mean value ± b SD). Duration of IMV: GROUP A- 6,6± b 2,5days vs. GROUP B- 7,3± b 1,7days (NS). Duration of iNO: GROUP A- 2,9 ± b1,5days vs. GROUP B- 3,5 ± b1,3days (NS). Duration of hospitalization: GROUP A-16,4 ± b5,4 days vs. GROUP B- 19, ± b2,9 days (NS). Air leaks: GROUP A- 0 vs. GROUP B- 2 (NS). Deaths: GROUP A- 0; GROUP B- 2 (NS).Conclusions: The associated treatment of SLL with natural surfactant solution together with iNO in the therapy of severe meconium aspiration syndrome with persistent pulmonary hypertension does not have a significant influence on the reduction of duration of IMV, iNO and the hospitalization time and on the reduction of occurrence of complications and deaths.

Soil flushing using colloidal gas aphron suspensions generated from a plant-based surfactant

Natural surfactant solutions obtained from the fruit pericarps of Sapindus mukorossi, commonly known as Ritha or soapnut, are tested for their ability to remove hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) from soil. Colloidal gas aphron (CGA) suspensions generated using the surfactant are used in this study to flush an HOC from a representative soil. Soil is spiked with a chlorinated hydrocarbon, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), serving as a model HOC representative of contamination at a Superfund site north of Baton Rouge, LA. The recovery of HCB from soil columns using CGA suspensions was considerably larger than that for a waterflood. HCB recoveries in the effluent reached a maximum by the fifth pore volume and remained fairly constant for soils contaminated with high levels of HCB. This maximum HCB concentration in the column effluent was proportional to HCB solubility in the corresponding surfactant solutions. Natural surfactant performed marginally better in the form of conventional solutions than CGA suspensions at similar concentration in recovering HCB. HCB removal increased with increasing surfactant concentration due to increased aqueous solubility. The pressure buildup across the soil column remained fairly low when natural surfactant was used at concentrations up to 1%. Alternating the flushing media between CGA and water neither enhanced the recovery of HCB nor changed the pressure buildup across the soil column.

Kinetic modeling of diauxic microbial growth in a plant‐based natural surfactant from Sapindus mukorossi,

A plant‐based natural surfactant with potential applications in the remediation of contaminated soils was obtained from the dry fruit pericarps of Sapindus mukorossi,. Kinetics of microbial growth in the natural surfactant solution under batch aerobic conditions was shown to be dependent on the initial concentrations of the surfactant, and a typical diauxic pattern was observed at high concentrations. This unique pattern may be attributed to the two components in the surfactant solutions that are of different biodegradabilities, and to the inhibition effects of the preferential substrate at high concentrations. Based on the generalized Monod equation, a new mathematical model is proposed to account for this growth pattern. During the exponential growth period, specific growth rates (μ) were in the range of 0.0188 and 0.2574 hr‐1, which corresponds a doubling time (tD ,), of 3 to 37 hours. Parameters for the Monod model were estimated to be 1.08 hr‐1 and 11200 mg/L for μmax, and K,S,, respectively. A model similar to the logistic growth equation was used to express microbial growth at a low concentration range from 200 to 2500 mg/L, and a discrete model was developed to describe the biphasic growth curve at a high concentration of 6000 mg/L. Model parameters were estimated by a non‐linear least‐squares method. The model was in good agreement with the experimental data for the monoauxic growth at low concentrations, and diauxic growth at high concentrations of the surfactant.

Aqueous solubility enhancement and desorption of hexachlorobenzene from soil using a plant-based surfactant

A plant-based surfactant extracted from fruit pericarps of Sapindus mukorossi (Ritha) is proposed for remediation of contaminated soil from a local hazardous waste site. Natural surfactants can be prepared using a very simple water extraction of fruit pericarp powder. Natural surfactant solutions are employed to enhance the aqueous solubility of a hydrophobic organic compound, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and to desorb HCB from soils in batch and one-dimensional flow-through soil column experiments. The solubility of HCB in natural surfactant solutions increased linearly with surfactant concentration beyond the critical micelle concentration. The mass of dry Ritha powder required to solubilize 1 mg of HCB in 1 liter of water was comparable to sodium dodecylsulfate solution and other commercial surfactants. HCB concentration in the aqueous solutions approached 90% of the HCB solubility in the respective natural surfactant solutions when soils contaminated to high levels were used for desorption. HCB recovery was up to 90% of the total HCB for soils contaminated with lower levels. Desorption behavior observed for natural surfactant solutions was similar to SDS solutions. Natural surfactant solutions performed more efficiently than a simple water flood in recovering HCB from one-dimensional soil columns. The HCB concentration in the effluent was found to be as high as 80% of the surfactant-enhanced HCB solubility in respective solutions. The results of this study provide a strong case for pursuing natural surfactant solutions in further research.

Bioenhancement of soil microorganisms in natural surfactant solutions. iii. effect of hexachlorobenzene

A plant‐based natural surfactant extracted from fruit pericarps of Sapindus mukorossi was tested to remediate contaminated soils. Natural surfactants are shown to increase the solubility of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) significantly and recover them from soil. Bioenhancement of typical soil microorganisms in natural surfactant solutions under aerobic and anaerobic conditions was investigated in our earlier studies. These surfactant solutions can readily serve as both carbon and energy sources and degrade considerably. In this study, a chlorinated organic, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) is used as a model contaminant to study the effect of contaminants on the bioenhancement. HCB at a concentration of 1 mg/l which is about 20 times that of HCB aqueous solubility was used for both aerobic and anaerobic cultures. Aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation experiments were conducted in 250 ml Erlenmeyer flasks and 125 ml serum bottles respectively. HCB at the concentration tested did not affect the growth of microorganisms significantly under both oxygen rich and anoxic conditions. HCB neither underwent any biotransformation nor adsorb to the biomass. The presence of basal salt media enhanced the biological growth under both the conditions.

Bioenhancement of soil microorganisms in natural surfactant solutions.II. Anaerobic

Natural surfactant solutions obtained from fruit pericarps of Sapindus mukorossi are shown to solubilize significant quantities of hydrophobic organic compounds and mobilize them from soil matrix. It is very crucial to determine the fate of surfactants employed for soil flushing in the subsurface and also in the effluent recovered. This paper appraises the bioenhancement of soil microorganisms in natural surfactant solutions under anaerobic conditions. Sealed 125 ml serum bottles are used for developing the anaerobic cultures. The cultures are maintained in anoxic conditions by degassing and filling the bottles with nitrogen. Three concentrations of natural surfactant 0.1, 1 and 2% and two different nutrient media, basal salt media (BSM) and heterotrophic media are used in the studies. Natural surfactant solutions can serve as both carbon and energy source for anaerobic microorganisms and also degrade to considerable extent. The growth curves for anaerobic cultures followed similar trends as those for aerobic cultures reported in an earlier paper. Addition of BSM to cultures increased the growth significantly. However, heterotrophic media amended cultures showed only an increased initial growth rate. The microbial growth increased significantly when the surfactant concentration was increased from 0.1 to 2% by weight. The results suggest that natural surfactant can readily degrade under anaerobic conditions and needs to be studied further in the presence of soils and sediments.

Soil Washing Potential of a Natural Surfactant

Biodegradable natural surfactants obtained from plants can be an attractive alternative to synthetic surfactants in the remediation of contaminated soils. In this research, a plant-based surfactant obtained from the fruit pericarp of Sapindus mukurossi, a tree generally grown in tropical regions of Asia, is tested. A simple and economical method for the preparation of the surfactant is developed. An empirical formula for the surfactant was determined to be (C26H31O10)n. The aqueous solubilities of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and naphthalene in the natural surfactant solutions were found to vary linearly with the concentration of the surfactant showing trends comparable to that of typical com mercial surfactants. Natural surfactant solutions were also employed for flushing HCB from one-dimensional soil columns. HCB recoveries after 12 pore volumes of flushing with 0.5 and 1% natural surfactant solutions were 20 and 100 times more than that recovered by water flooding. These promising results warrant further re...

Bioenhancement of Soil Microorganisms in Natural Surfactant Solutions: II - Anaerobic

Abstract Natural surfactant solutions obtained from fruit pericarps of Sapindus mukorossi are shown to solubilize significant quantities of hydrophobic organic compounds and mobilize them from soil matrix. It is very crucial to determine the fate of surfactants employed for soil flushing in the subsurface and also in the effluent recovered. This paper appraises the bioenhancement of soil microorganisms in natural surfactant solutions under anaerobic conditions. Sealed 125 ml serum bottles are used for developing the anaerobic cultures. The cultures are maintained in anoxic conditions by degassing and filling the bottles with nitrogen. Three concentrations of natural surfactant 0.1, 1 and 2% and two different nutrient media, basal salt media (BSM) and heterotrophic media are used in the studies. Natural surfactant solutions can serve as both carbon and energy source for anaerobic microorganisms and also degrade to considerable extent. The growth curves for anaerobic cultures followed similar trends as thos...

Characterization of Colloidal Gas Aphron Suspensions Generated from Plant-Based Natural Surfactant Solutions

Colloidal gas aphron (CGA) suspensions generated using commercial surfactants are found to have great potential in the remediation of contaminated soils and waste streams. A plant-based natural surfactant solution prepared from the fruit pericarps of Sapindus mukorossi was used in this study to generate CGA suspensions. The CGA suspensions generated from this surfactant solution have size distributions similar to those of commercial surfactants. The stability of the CGA suspensions generated with natural surfactant solutions was observed to be higher than those generated using synthetic surfactants. However, the quality or the gas fraction of the suspensions is lower for a natural surfactant solution than that for commercial surfactants. The crude solution of natural surfactant prepared using simple water extraction contains saponins, the essential surface-active agent, and many other extraneous natural organic compounds. Yet, the CGA suspensions prepared from the crude solution seem to be comparable to those generated using synthetic surfactants in size distribution and stability.

Bioenhancement of soil microorganisms in natural surfactant solutions: I ‐ aerobic

Bioenhancement of soil microorganisms in natural surfactant solutions: I ‐ aerobic