Aggregation‐induced demulsification triggered by the hydrophilic fabric for the separation of highly emulsified oil droplets from water

Abstract

A functional fabric with hierarchical structure consisting of basalt fibre fabric as a substrate and polyvinyl alcohol as a coating was developed, aiming at providing a low cost and high‐performance way to separate highly emulsified oil in water. The coating functioned as a hydrophilic gate for the penetration of water in the emulsion, whereas the micro‐channels formed in the fabric offered capillary force for the continuous flow of water. The synergy of these two materials led to the increase on the oil concentration in the liquid, which in turn enhanced the collision of emulsified oil droplets to aggregate into large ones in the emulsion and resulted separation from the water. Based on these findings, an aggregation‐induced demulsification process was proposed to explain the above phenomenon, and the mechanism was confirmed by studying the distribution of oil droplets in emulsion with a controlled separation degree.

Balancing and Therapeutic Roles of CXCR4‐Inhibiting Nanomedicine via Synergetic Regulation of Hepatic Stellate Cells and Extracellular Matrix in Liver Injury†

“…with siRNA than PAMD due to the decreased size distribution and increased zeta potential. [ 25‐27 ] By agarose gel electrophoresis and fluorescence quenching assays, the improved siRNA binding ability of PAMD/Zn was further verified (Figures 2A—B, Figure S2A). The TEM image showed PAMD/Zn NPs with spherical shapes (Figure 2C).…”

Polyethylenimine-Modified Glass Fiber by a Sulfur-Based Coupling Reaction for Selective Demulsification of Oil/Water Emulsions

“…This could weaken the strength of the oil/water interfacial film of the emulsion, which facilitated the decrease of the emulsion stability. Consequently, the small droplets aggregated with each other to form larger ones and finally broke up the emulsion . The superhydrophilic and underwater oleophobic properties of PEI-GF allowed water to continuously pass through the material while the oil droplets were floated from the fiber surface under buoyancy. , Thus, separation of the O/W emulsion could be successfully achieved.…”

Nanostructure-Based Oil–Water Separation: Mechanism and Status

“…Under ordinary conditions, an oil-water emulsion contains many micrometer-scale emulsified droplets. This characteristic leads to the high stability of oil-water emulsions and significantly complicates the demulsification process [14,15]. Therefore, the key to a successful oil-water separation is to achieve the coalescence and demulsification of the emulsion [16].…”