3 research outputs found
Molecular Insights into Glass Transition in Condensed Core Asphaltenes
Glass
transition in a condensed core asphaltene model was investigated
using molecular dynamics simulations performed in the isobaric–isothermal
ensemble. Glass transition temperature obtained from the discontinuities
in the slope of specific volume versus temperature plots was in close
agreement with experimental results reported in the literature. These
discontinuities also correspond to those in isothermal compressibility
versus temperature plots. In this paper, we separate the contributions
of aliphatic and aromatic regions of the asphaltene molecule to the
glass transition behavior. We demonstrate that the aliphatic chains
contribute significantly to volumetric changes and impose restrictions
to the molecular orientations. Glass transition is accompanied by
breaking of π–π stacking of the asphaltene molecule.
Therefore, the size of the fused aromatic region in the condensed
core determines the strength of intermolecular interactions and the
glass transition temperature <i>T</i><sub>g</sub>
Water-in-Trichloroethylene Emulsions Stabilized by Uniform Carbon Microspheres
Uniform hard carbon spheres (HCS), synthesized by the
hydrothermal
decomposition of sucrose followed by pyrolysis, are effective at stabilizing
water-in-trichloroethylene (TCE) emulsions. The irreversible adsorption
of carbon particles at the TCE–water interface resulting in
the formation of a monolayer around the water droplet in the emulsion
phase is identified as the key reason for emulsion stability. Cryogenic
scanning electron microscopy was used to image the assembly of carbon
particles clearly at the TCE–water interface and the formation
of bilayers in regions of droplet–droplet contact. The results
of this study have potential implications to the subsurface injection
of carbon submicrometer particles containing zero-valent iron nanoparticles
to treat pools of chlorinated hydrocarbons that are sequestered in
fractured bedrock
Attachment of a Hydrophobically Modified Biopolymer at the Oil–Water Interface in the Treatment of Oil Spills
The stability of crude oil droplets
formed by adding chemical dispersants can be considerably enhanced
by the use of the biopolymer, hydrophobically modified chitosan. Turbidimetric
analyses show that emulsions of crude oil in saline water prepared
using a combination of the biopolymer and the well-studied chemical
dispersant (Corexit 9500A) remain stable for extended periods in comparison
to emulsions stabilized by the dispersant alone. We hypothesize that
the hydrophobic residues from the polymer preferentially anchor in
the oil droplets, thereby forming a layer of the polymer around the
droplets. The enhanced stability of the droplets is due to the polymer
layer providing an increase in electrostatic and steric repulsions
and thereby a large barrier to droplet coalescence. Our results show
that the addition of hydrophobically modified chitosan following the
application of chemical dispersant to an oil spill can potentially
reduce the use of chemical dispersants. Increasing the molecular weight
of the biopolymer changes the rheological properties of the oil-in-water
emulsion to that of a weak gel. The ability of the biopolymer to tether
the oil droplets in a gel-like matrix has potential applications in
the immobilization of surface oil spills for enhanced removal