Flux dependent oil permeation in the ultrafiltration of highly concentrated and unstable oil-in-water emulsions

Falahati, Hamid; Tremblay, André Y.

doi:10.1016/j.memsci.2011.01.047

Cited by 27 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(31 reference statements)

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“…The total resistance towards permeation is the amalgamation of resistances of membrane hydraulic, gel/cake layer, osmotic pressure, and reversible and irreversible fouling [193,211].…”

Section: Membrane Foulingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demulsification techniques of water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsions in petroleum industry

Zolfaghari

Fakhru’l‐Razi

Abdullah

et al. 2016

Separation and Purification Technology

529

255

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The difficulties associated with transportation and refining of crude oil emulsions as well as produced water discharge limitations are among the conspicuous clues that have led the oilfield researchers to probe into practical demulsification methods for many decades.Inconsistent research outcomes observed in the literature for a particular demulsification method of a typical emulsion (i.e., water-in-oil or oil-in-water) arise not only from the varied influential parameters associated (such as salinity, temperature, pH, dispersed phase content, emulsifier/demulsifier concentration, droplet size, etc.), but also from the diverse types of emulsion constituents (namely oil, surfactant, salt, alkali, polymer, fine solids, and/or other chemicals/impurities). Being the main component in formation of stabilizing interfacial film surrounding the dispersed phase droplets, surfactant is the most predominant contributor to emulsion stability, extent of which depends on its nature (being ionic or nonionic, and its degree of hydrophilicity/lipophilicity), concentration and interaction with other surface-active agents in the emulsion, as well as on the salinity, temperature, and pH of the system. In this paper, it is endeavored to overview some of the most commonly exploited demulsification techniques (i.e., chemical, biological, membrane, electrical, and microwave irradiation) on both the oilfield and synthetic emulsions, taking into account the emulsion-stabilizing anddestabilizing effects with regard to the dominant parameters plus the emulsion composition.Further, the variations occurring in interfacial properties of emulsions by demulsification process are discussed. Finally, the mechanism(s) involved in emulsions resolution achieved by each method is elucidated. Clearly, the most efficient demulsification approach is the one able to attain desirable separation efficiency while complying with the environmental regulations and imposing the least economic burden on the petroleum industry.

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“…The total resistance towards permeation is the amalgamation of resistances of membrane hydraulic, gel/cake layer, osmotic pressure, and reversible and irreversible fouling [193,211].…”

Section: Membrane Foulingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demulsification techniques of water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsions in petroleum industry

Zolfaghari

Fakhru’l‐Razi

Abdullah

et al. 2016

Separation and Purification Technology

529

255

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The permeate flux is a key parameter in controlling fouling as well as oil droplet rejection. 37 Results indicate that by increasing the permeate flux, oil droplets deform from an almost perfect sphere to nearly a hemisphere (see Figure 3a). Based on the shape and contact angle of an oil droplet on the membrane surface under static conditions (see Table 1 and Supporting Information) it is clear that the membrane is hydrophilic.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The underlying hypothesis of this work is that oil droplets deform at the membrane surface, and this deformation is a function of the permeate flux, J , droplet radius, R , and membrane permeance, k , which may be combined to produce the modified capillary number, ≡ μJR 1/2 / σk 1/2 . The permeate flux is a key parameter in controlling fouling as well as oil droplet rejection . Results indicate that by increasing the permeate flux, oil droplets deform from an almost perfect sphere to nearly a hemisphere (see Figure a).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microscale Dynamics of Oil Droplets at a Membrane Surface: Deformation, Reversibility, and Implications for Fouling

Fux

Ramon

2017

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Despite their excellent capabilities, wide implementation of membranes for oil/water emulsion separation is limited due to severe fouling. To date, microscale dynamics of the oil-water-membrane system are poorly understood. The present study uses confocal microscopy at unprecedented resolution for direct observation of oil droplet deposition, deformation, and detachment during separation and cleaning, respectively. The 3D shape of the droplets was imaged as a function of the permeation rate, J, droplet radius, R, membrane permeance, k, water viscosity, μ, and the water/oil interfacial tension coefficient, σ. These parameters yield a modified capillary number, [Formula: see text] = μVR/σk, which accounts for the extra viscous "suction" at close proximity to the membrane surface. A clear correlation was observed between the degree of droplet deformation and an increasing [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, the reversibility of droplet deposition and membrane performance were assessed through microscopic surface coverage and flux recovery analysis. In general, operation at a low flux (3.9 μm/s) yields spherical droplets that are easily removed by crossflow cleaning, whereas a high flux (85 μm/s) leads to significant deformation and mostly irreversible deposition. These results shed important new insight on the influence of hydrodynamic conditions on fouling reversibility during emulsion separation, and may guide better design of surface-modified membranes.

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“…Various methods of membrane separation have been tried for the separation of oil droplets and water [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. The methods of microfiltration (MF) [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ] and ultrafiltration (UF) [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ] are considered superior compared to other membrane separation methods for separation of oil from water. The reason being that the fouling in these membranes is less than that of reverse osmosis and nano-filtration membranes for oil–water separation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Membrane Vibration on Particles Rejection Using a Slotted Pore Membrane Microfiltration

et al. 2021

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A new method is proposed to increase the rejection in microfiltration by applying membrane oscillation, using a new type of microfiltration membrane with slotted pores. The oscillations applied to the membrane surface result in reduced membrane fouling and increased separation efficiency. An exact mathematical solution of the flow in the surrounding solution outside the oscillating membrane is developed. The oscillation results in the appearance of a lift velocity, which moves oil particles away from the membrane. The latter results in both reduced membrane fouling and increased oil droplet rejection. This developed model was supported by the experimental results for oil water separation in the produced water treatment. It was proven that the oil droplet concentration was reduced notably in the permeate, due to the membrane oscillation, and that the applied shear rate caused by the membrane oscillation also reduced pore blockage. A four-times lower oil concentration was recorded in the permeate when the membrane vibration frequency was 25 Hz, compared to without membrane vibration. Newly generated microfiltration membranes with slotted pores were used in the experiments.

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Flux dependent oil permeation in the ultrafiltration of highly concentrated and unstable oil-in-water emulsions

Cited by 27 publications

References 22 publications

Demulsification techniques of water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsions in petroleum industry

Demulsification techniques of water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsions in petroleum industry

Microscale Dynamics of Oil Droplets at a Membrane Surface: Deformation, Reversibility, and Implications for Fouling

Influence of Membrane Vibration on Particles Rejection Using a Slotted Pore Membrane Microfiltration

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