Soil flushing by surfactant solution: Pilot-scale demonstration of complete technology

Unique role of ionic liquid [bmin][BF 4] during curcumin–surfactant association and micellization of cationic, anionic and non-ionic surfactant solutions

Wastewater from laundry cleaning contributes to water pollution, and the amount of detergent used needs to be reduced. In the present study, water, four types of surfactants, and their microbubble mixtures were used, and washing rates were measured in swirling flows and alternating flows. The microbubble/water mixtures (average particle diameter: 25 μm; mixed with air at 1.5 vol % in water) achieved washing rates higher than those of water alone. Furthermore, microbubbles mixed with an aqueous surfactant solution had a washing rate that depended on the ionization of the surfactant: the mixtures with microbubbles and non-ionic and anionic surfactants had a washing rate that was higher than that of aqueous non-ionic and anionic surfactant solutions without microbubbles. The surface tensions of microbubble/water mixtures and mixtures of microbubbles with non-ionic and anionic surfactants were lower than those without microbubbles. These results provide evidence of an enhanced washing effect for microbubble mixtures in laundry cleaning.

Association properties of two silicone surfactants based on poly(dimethylsiloxane)-graft-polyethers in aqueous solutions of 2-butoxyethanol, poly(ethylene glycol), and glucose were determined using various techniques such as surface tension, small-angle neutron scattering, and viscosity. Dilute solution phase diagrams were also constructed, and cloud points were measured for different concentrations of both the surfactants in additive aqueous solutions. The thermodynamic parameters for the micellization were obtained from the temperature-dependent data on critical micelle concentration. The influence of given additive on the micellization of silicone surfactants was monitored from the changes in the free energy of micellization values for the surfactant solutions in water and water + additives. The cloud points and the critical micelle concentration values for the surfactant solutions were found to be decreased in the presence of the selected three additives. The analysis of the changes in the relative permittivities and partial molar volumes for the surfactant solutions in the presence of water and water + additives suggests that the solvent environment around the surfactant solute molecules is different in mixed solvent systems vis-a-vis water and the micellization and surface activity of silicone surfactants were dictated predominantly by the preferential hydration of cosolute additives. The analysis of small angle neutron scattering curves for the surfactant aqueous solutions in the presence of additives showed that the micelles formed have oblate ellipsoidal shape at 30 °C with, however, increased characteristic axial ratios than those in pure water. The increase in the concentration of additives has also increased the size of the micelles. The increase in temperatures corresponding to the values close to the turbid boundaries in the phase diagrams caused a transition from the oblate to the disklike micellar shape. The changes in the hydration values of the micellar associates were monitored from the dilute solution viscosity measurements. The dehydration of the micelles in the presence of additives at 30 °C and also at elevated temperatures occur from the interior to the fringe of the core−outer shell parts and to the outer shell successively.

Soluting effect of amino acids on 1‑decyl‑3‑methylimidazolium bromide and 1‑dodecyl‑3‑methylimidazolium bromide as cationic surfactants and sodium dodecyl sulfate as anionic surfactant in aqueous solutions

Porphyrin-surfactant interactions in aqueous solutions are known to result in the selfassembly of various supramolecular structures, including pigment-surfactant complexes, J- and H-aggregates, and solubilized dye species. Detailed studies on the mechanisms of the intermolecular interactions governing the above self-assembly processes allow to predict the aggregation state and hence, the photophysical properties of the dye-surfactant assemblies in order to perform a direct synthesis of the desired porphyrin-based nanostructures at the appropriate experimental conditions. This paper describes a novel example of the surfactant-induced J-aggregate formation from the diprotonated hydrophobic tetraphenylporphyrin species in submicellar aqueous anionic surfactant solutions. The above assemblies are characterized by a rod-like morphology and possess supramolecular chirality according to the CD measurements.

The conditions for the formation of ionic associates and J- and H-aggregates from amphiphilic cationic tetraphenylporphyrin derivatives in aqueous solutions of anionic surfactants and polyelectrolytes in a wide range of concentrations and pH are considered. The aggregation behaviors of tetraphenylporphyrin and its cationic derivatives in aqueous microheterogeneous systems are compared illustrating the influence of the porphyrin molecular structure on its ability to form supramolecular aggregates of a certain structure. The mechanism of the promoting action of premicellar solutions of anionic surfactants on the formation of J-aggregates of the diprotonated form of cationic porphyrins was proposed. The acid-base properties of a number of new synthetic meso-aryl-substituted porphyrins in aqueous microheterogeneous systems were characterized.

Drag reduction for liquid flow through micro-apertures

A micellar liquid chromatographic method was developed for the green enantioseparation of racemic amino alcohols using an aqueous solution of the mixed surfactants as an alternative for organic solvents. In this study, the derivatives of the amino alcohols were synthesized using highly reactive chiral esters of (S)-levofloxacin (Lfx) under microwave conditions, and an aqueous solution of the surfactants (Brij-35 and SDS) was used for the enantioseparation of the synthesized diastereomeric derivatives (DDs) of amino alcohols using reversed-phase HPLC. The activated ester of Lfx was synthesized by reacting with N-hydroxybenzotriazole and characterized using UV, IR, 1 H NMR, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The DDs of racemic amino alcohols were separated on a C18 column using micellar LC. Chromatographic conditions were optimized by varying the concentration of the surfactants in aqueous solution and by varying the concentration and pH of the buffer. The green assessment score was calculated for the developed method (score: 82, an excellent green method). In addition, the density functional theory calculations were performed to develop the lowest energy-optimized structures of DDs. The method was validated according to the International Conference of Harmonization guidelines, and the retention factor (k), selectivity factor (α), resolution factor (RS ), limit of detection (0.198 ng mL-1 or 0.291 pM mL-1 ), and limit of quantification (0.594 ng mL-1 or 0.873 pM mL-1 ) were calculated.

Here, we present experimental data and a theoretical model for the dynamics of detachment of hexadecane drops from a solid substrate (glass plate) in aqueous solutions of anionic surfactant and salt, at various temperatures. The influence of the experimental conditions on the motion of the three-phase contact line is investigated. We found indications that water molecules can propagate by lateral diffusion in a thin layer on the surface of the solid plate. The driving force of the detachment process, viz., the imbalance of the interfacial tensions at the contact line, is engendered by the water penetration, while the line friction force compensates this imbalance and determines the stationary speed. Excellent agreement between theory and experiment is achieved. The present study specifies the parameters that can be used to quantitatively characterize the rate of drop detachment, determines the values of these parameters at various experimental conditions, and indicates tools for control of the investigated spontaneous process.

Surfactant mobility in unsaturated soil will impact the effectiveness and efficiency of using these compounds for in situ environmental remediation above the water table. For this reason, transient unsaturated column tests were used to study the influence of boundary conditions and soil attributes on anionic surfactant transport. In these tests, aqueous surfactant solutions were injected into the inlet of horizontally mounted soil columns. Two commercial anionic surfactants were used, an alkyl ether sulfate (AES) and a linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS).The overall study was divided into two parts. First, boundary condition effects including injected surfactant solution concentration, initial moisture content, and surfactant application rate were investigated. Increasing the injection solution concentration increased anionic surfactant mobility in the column while changes in the initial soil moisture content and surfactant application rate had no significant impact. Second, the impacts of soil attributes such as texture, dominant exchangeable cation, and resident organic matter were measured. With respect to texture, mobility was found to be greater in a sandy soil as compared with two loamy soils. Both surfactants, especially LAS, were found to be more mobile in a Na+ dominated soil rather than one dominated by Ca−2.The absence of soil organic matter increased LAS mobility.

Understanding the dispersion and aggregation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the aqueous environment are critical for the fate, bioavailability, and the environment and health risk assessment of them because the better suspended CNTs display a higher mobility and could transfer to a longer distance in the environment to possibly pose greater ecological and environmental risks. In this study, we have found that bulk single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) could not be dispersed and stably suspended in water and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS) solution by shaking at 140 r/min, although they could be stably suspended in SDBS solution by sonication. Even through sonication, SWCNTs suspended in SDBS solution do not remain stable at the presence of environmentally relevant cations (e.g., Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , and Mg 2+ ) after dilution. These observations suggest that SWCNTs will not travel long distances in significant concentrations in the natural environment to pose great ecological and environmental risks. We also observed that the re-aggregation of suspended SWCNTs in the presence of cations was dependent on the SDBS concen- tration rather than the SWCNT concentration in the suspension. Both SDBS and sonication play important roles in the dispersion of SWCNTs, with sonication breaking down large aggregates of SWCNTs, while SDBS adsorbed on the SWCNTs inhibits the coagulation and aggregation by steric/electrostatic repulsion to maintain the stability of the suspension in water.

Rheological properties of wormlike micelles formed in the sodium oleate/trisodium phosphate aqueous solution

The enantiomeric composition of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) atropisomers, including PCB 95, PCB 149 and PCB 132, was measured in 11 livers of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) from the southern North Sea. Non-racemic enantiomeric ratios (ERs) were found in some samples. The value of ERs in three of the four juvenile porpoises was equal or almost equal to one, while the ERs in all adults differed from racemic and ranged from 1.31 to 2.54 for PCB 95; from 1.19 to 1.81 for PCB 149 and from 0.45 to 0.94 for PCB 132. There were no relationships between the total concentration of PCBs and ERs. To understand the phenomena, the relationships between the ER value of individual chiral congener with age, concentration of total PCBs and PCB congener pattern were discussed. A model of intake and elimination kinetics was set up and it was tested using the ratio between concentration of PCB 153 and PCB 101 in the liver samples. There was a clear trend between the enantiomeric ratios and the ratio between PCB 153 and PCB 101. Considering that PCB 153 is one of the most persistent PCB congeners in marine mammals and PCB 101 is a relatively easy metabolised congener, this trend means that the enantiomeric ratio most likely reflects the proportion of the metabolised congener. The exposure period in contaminated conditions has a strong impact on ERs, and it is suggested that ERs in wildlife, combined with information on their anthropometric data, health status, diet and habitat conditions, might be good indicators of pollution in coastal ecosystems.

ABSTRACTThe present article reports the heat transfer characteristics of a vertical stainless steel foil of 0.15 mm thickness (SS304) by circular impinging jets of various fluids such as pure water, nano-fluids (Al2O3-water, ф = 0.15%, 0.6%), and aqueous high-alcohol surfactant (HAS, i.e., 2-ethyl-hexanol, 100–400 ppm) studied using an infrared thermal imaging camera (A655sc, FLIR System). The enhancement in the heat transfer rates for Al2O3-water nano-fluids with ф = 0.15%, ф = 0.60%, and aqueous surfactant solution (150ppm) is found to be 140%, 207%, and 117% higher compared to pure water results, respectively. The surface characteristics of the foil after jet impingement by various fluids are also studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and surface wettability.

Recovery of carotenoids from brown seaweeds using aqueous solutions of surface-active ionic liquids and anionic surfactants