The Influences of Emulsification Variables on Emulsion Characteristics Prepared through the Phase Inversion Temperature Method as Engine Fuel

Abstract

The effects of emulsification variables, such as surfactant type and heating/cooling emulsion processes, on the emulsification characteristics of silicone oil’s emulsions prepared by the phase inversion temperature method were investigated in this study. The water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions have been widely applied to enhance burning efficiency and reduce both pollutant emissions and fuel consumption. The silicone oil was emulsified with de-ionized water with the assistance of nonionic surfactants to form oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. The hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) value of the Span 80 and Tween 20 surfactant mixture was set equal to 10 based on their weight proportions and the respective HLB values of the two surfactants. The experimental results show that the emulsions with the Span 80/Tween 20 surfactant mixture appeared to have a higher phase inversion temperature and a larger electrical conductance. On the other hand, it has a lower emulsification stability and a narrower range of phase inversion temperature than the emulsions prepared with a Brij 30 surfactant (polyoxyethylene (4) lauryl ether). The increase in surfactant concentration from 1 wt.% to 10 wt.% decreased the electrical conductance and phase inversion temperature while increasing the suspensibility and absorbance value for the emulsions prepared with either Span 80/Tween 20 mixture or Brij 30.

Effects of Surfactant Characteristics on Fuel Properties of Emulsions of Alternative Engine Fuel through the Phase Inversion Method

“…The mean droplet sizes were significantly reduced with the increased concentration of Tween 20 and Span 80, as shown in Figure 3. Lin et al [40] observed that the increase of the surfactant concentration resulted in the decrease of both the electrical conductance and PIT where an abrupt drop of electrical conductance occurred. The surfactant mixture of Tween 20 and Span 80 caused higher PIT values of the emulsions than that of Brij 30.…”

“…However, the emulsion of silicone oil has previously only been used as heat transfer fluids or long-acting vitreous substitutes, etc. The fuel characteristics of the silicone oil emulsion prepared through the PIT method have never been found in the literature although Lin et al [40] investigated the effects of various emulsification variables on the emulsion characteristics of silicone oil emulsions. Moreover, the effects of surfactant characteristics and processes of heating/cooling emulsion during phase change on the fuel properties of silicone oil emulsion using the PIT methods [41,42] have not been studied before.…”