Fuel, 2018, vol 226pp. 381-388
DOI:10.1016/j.fuel.2018.03.196
Abstract
Two kinds of hyperbranched poly(amido amine) (h-PAMAM) with abundant terminal amine groups are synthesized to break the oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions consisting of microdroplets. The demulsification performance of h-PAMAM is systematically evaluated with assistance of UV–vis spectra, micrograph, DLS and SAXS analyses. The demulsifier with 1,3-propanediamine as initiator shows a striking demulsification ability with small dosage (<40 mg/L). The demulsification equilibrium can be obtained within 30 min, and oil removal ratio reaches to 92%, which is ascribed to the highly hyperbranched structure and the adequate molecular weight. The demulsifier molecules with hyperbranched structure easily diffuse to the oil-water interface and reveal a high interfacial activity, which causes film break and coalescence of oil droplets, and consequently leads to high oil removal ratio. The combination of UV–vis spectra, micrograph, DLS and SAXS analyses provides a new approach to monitor demulsification process and comprehend demulsification mechanism. The excellent demulsification performance of h-PAMAM shows a considerable potential applications of this hyperbranched polymer for wastewater treatment and petroleum industry.
