Surface and interfacial characterization of modified sophorolipid derivatives
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Authors
Koh, Amanda
Issue Date
2016-08
Type
Electronic thesis
Thesis
Thesis
Language
ENG
Keywords
Chemical engineering
Alternative Title
Abstract
Finally, SL-esters were evaluated for crude oil applications such as drilling, transportation, and reclamation. Demand for petroleum and natural gas remains steady while the means of extraction become more complex. Significant worry over the release of processing chemicals into the environment due to enhanced oil recovery or the effect of dispersants on the ecology contaminated with crude oil has driven the demand for safer surfactants. SL-esters were found to have interfacial and spreading performance similar to if not better than commercial comparisons. Emulsification of crude oil led to the first water-in-oil (and water-in-oil-in-water) emulsions from SL-esters. It was determined that different components of crude oil had significantly different interactions with the SL-esters, which determined the final performance. This again allows for the opportunity to tune the interfacial performance of the SL-ester to a particular application given the chemical make-up of the oil.
Description
August 2016
School of Engineering
School of Engineering
Full Citation
Publisher
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY