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    Breaking W/O emulsion with electrospun hierarchically porous PLA fibers

    Year: 2022

    Journal: Emerg. Mater., Volume 5, OCT, page 1507–1516

    Authors: Ribba, Laura; Cimadoro, Jonathan; Goyanes, Silvia

    Organizations: Fondo para la Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica [PICT 2017-2362, PICT 2019-03843]; Universidad de Buenos Aires [20020170100381BA]

    Keywords: Emulsion; Electrospinning; Diesel; Surface energy; Wetting

    One of the most challenging aspects in fuel industry is the content of emulsified water in crude oil and derived fuels. Although a common technique to separate emulsions is the use of chemicals, the application of membranes is imposed as a clean technology. However, there are still several scientific and technological challenges to overcome in order to implement these methodologies efficiently. In this work, we propose the use of a polymeric porous membrane to de-emulsify water in diesel systems, reaching the solubility limit, and demonstrate that its mechanism of action is not based purely on its hydrophobic character, but on the energetic affinity between involved materials. In this context, hierarchically porous polylactic acid mats were fabricated by electrospinning. Three different morphologies were obtained and explained in terms of ambient conditions and employed solvents. The mat formed by fibers with deep pores was employed to selectively and effectively separate water from water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions, reducing its original concentration from 1200 ppm to values in the order of the water solubility limit in diesel (96 ppm). This result was explained in terms of the changes suffered by the surface energies involved in the process, as it progresses. The development presented in this work could help solve the serious problems generated by water presence in diesel fuel as well as water accumulation in fuel tanks.
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