Reservoir brine, pressure, and CO₂ effects on brine-oil interfacial tension and rock wettability: Implications for EOR in carbonate rocks

Improved low-salinity waterflooding via a novel nanocomposite for wettability alteration, interfacial tension reduction, and colloidal stability enhancement in porous medium

Bubble surface mobility regimes in mixed aqueous solutions of short chain alcohols and fluorosurfactant.

Effect of barium sulfate, thickener type, and saline solution on the rheological properties of liquids used for instrumental swallowing assessment.

• PDMS demonstrated notable biodegradation under anaerobic sludge conditions through microbially mediated hydrolysis. • Structural analysis confirmed Si–O–Si bond cleavage and formation of silanol terminal groups during degradation. • Degradation led to a marked reduction in the thermal stability of PDMS. • Key degradation products identified were low-molecular-weight cyclic and linear siloxanes. • Degradation altered functional properties: dielectric constant decreased, viscosity dropped, and interfacial tension with water reduced. • Metagenomic analysis revealed an anaerobic consortium (e.g., Usitatibacter) enriched with genes for xenobiotics biodegradation. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a widely used silicon-based polymer known for its excellent chemical and thermal stability, with broad applications in the power industry and consumer products. Due to its recalcitrance to degradation and persistence in the environment, PDMS has emerged as a potential organic pollutant. Therefore, developing effective environmental degradation methods is urgently needed, among which microbial degradation represents a promising solution. In this study, a laboratory-simulated anaerobic sludge environment was used to conduct an 18-day degradation experiment on PDMS. During this period, the PDMS samples exhibited a mass loss of approximately 28.50%. Structural changes during degradation were systematically analyzed using techniques such as gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results indicated significant molecular chain scission of PDMS under anaerobic conditions. After 18 days of degradation, the molecular weight of the samples decreased by 24%. DSC and TGA showed a decline in the thermal properties of the degraded samples, with the initial decomposition temperature and glass transition temperature decreasing by 43.7°C and 3.1°C, respectively. Concurrently, the dielectric constant decreased across the measured frequency range, rheological properties decayed, and the interfacial tension between PDMS and water significantly dropped, indicating alterations in material polarity, flow behavior, and surface hydrophobicity. Additionally, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed cleavage of Si–O–Si bonds, accompanied by enhanced –OH signals, indicating hydrolysis of the PDMS backbone and the formation of silanol terminals. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis detected degradation products containing cyclic and linear low-molecular-weight siloxanes (D4, hydroxyl-terminated L4, etc.). Metagenomic analysis of the microbial community revealed an anaerobic consortium dominated by genera such as Usitatibacter, Aquihabitans , and Pseudomonas , whose functional gene profile demonstrated a strong potential for xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism. Finally, from a microscopic perspective, this study elucidated the microbial-mediated hydrolysis mechanism of PDMS in anaerobic sludge, providing new insights for the development of biodegradation technologies for silicon-based polymers.

Mechanism of galacturonic acid-rich Schisandra Chinensis polysaccharide in improving emulsifying properties of soy protein hydrolysate: Insights from interfacial behavior and molecular interactions.

Evaluation of interfacial properties, droplet size optimisation and rheological properties of chemically modified Bambara groundnut (Vigna Subterranea) starch in oil-in-water emulsions

Bifunctional starch nanoparticles for achieving recyclable interfacial biocatalysis within a narrow pH range.

Research on the ion-extraction demulsification mechanism and fiber-particle-induced coalescence for deep oil removal from high-salinity gas-field produced water.

Structural characterization, function, and mechanism in enhancing WPI emulsion of blackcurrant polysaccharides: From macroscopic emulsion stability to molecular-level interactions by experiments and simulations.

The study of foam stability during EPB shield tunnelling based on surface tension and a new half-life time measurement method

Surface tension and viscosity of carbon dioxide near the critical point using molecular dynamics simulations and surface light scattering

Improving oleoyl hyaluronan self-assembly and functional properties using zinc ions.

Heavy mineral-asphaltene interactions governing the stability and destabilization of water-in-oil emulsions.

Synergistic effects of Glycyrrhiza glabra natural surfactant, nanoparticles, and salt on interfacial tension reduction, wettability alteration and oil recovery

Synergistic effect between internal olefin sulfonates and betaines on reducing interfacial tension: Insights from experiments and molecular dynamics simulation

Modulation of the emulsifying and foaming properties of pH-shifted rice glutelin by controlled thermal processing: insights from interfacial adsorption.

Discovering potential of a novel ascorbate-zinc-nicotinate triple chelate complex for fermented milk fortification application.

Tailored flow condensation of low surface tension fluids via additively manufactured gradient wick structures

The growing environmental concerns regarding petroleum-based plastics have accelerated research into sustainable, alternative materials such as bioplastics or biopolymers. Gelatin-starch blend bioplastics (SPBBs) have gained momentum in research as a possible solution due to their biodegradability, biobased resource and potential for many applications. However, the structural and functional properties of SPBBs, such as barrier performance and rigidity properties, depend on the starch source and the formulation method. This study focuses on characterising SPBBs from potato, tapioca, sago and swamp taro. The aim was to assess the influence of starch composition, evaluated by amylose and amylopectin % ratio, with a specific interest in the relationship between chemical composition and functional properties of the materials. Methods including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), goniometry, water vapour permeability (WVP), oxygen permeability, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMTA) were used to evaluate the biopolymer’s structural integrity, composition and barrier properties. The results revealed no significant variation in amylose to amylopectin ratios and subtle differences in starch profiles; however, once incorporated with the other materials, homogenised profiles were seen. XRD analysis showed distinct polymorphic structures in the raw starches. However, the incorporation of gelatine disrupted the starch structures and inhibited the gelatine’s triple helix reconstitution. Surface Free Energy (SFE) analysis showed that potato SPBB demonstrated wettable potential; in contrast, lower SFE and critical surface tension (CST) values of sago SPBB indicated more hydrophobic surfaces, which is ideal for food packaging. The assessed barrier properties showed that SPBBs have good water barrier properties but poor oxygen permeabilities. DMTA results indicated that tapioca SPBB had the highest rigidity, while sago SPBB had properties more suitable for shock-absorbing material applications. Further research is needed to enhance the specific properties of these polymers for particular applications. • XRD identifed starch polymorphism and demonstrate starch alteration in starch-protein bioplastics. • FTIR confirmed homogenous blending of starch, gelatine, glycerol and water. • Sago SPBBs were most hydrophobic, impacting potential uses. • Tapioca SPBB showed the best relative performance among tested starches for oxygen-sensitive packaging. • Surface behaviour varied by starch types, possibly affecting the potential food contact.