Honors Theses
Date of Award
2017
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Chemical Engineering
First Advisor
Esteban Ureña-Benavides
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
The use of Pickering Emulsions in place of conventional surfactants has opened new doors in fields like pharmacy, cosmetology, and oil and gas industry. Pickering emulsions using Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) are generally stable to heating in a wide range of temperatures and show great stability against salt and pH changes. The management of water resources in the United States has been a challenge. The injection of water in aging oil fields and unconventional tight-gas, shale-gas, and coal bed-fields often generate substantial amounts contaminated wastewater. This research project is expected to help future efforts in promoting oil biodegradation in emulsified mixtures. Here, we are correlating viscosity of aqueous phases of 0.4, 0.8, and 1 wt.% CNC in American Petroleum Institute (API) brine (2 wt.% CaCl2 and 8 wt.% NaCl) and Synthetic Seawater (SSW) to explain the high stability of a Pickering emulsion stabilized by CNCs. Emulsion stability was assessed through creaming front analysis and optical microscopy measurements. The most stable emulsions over six months had aqueous phases with high viscosity; lower viscosities were found for emulsions that broke at room temperature. Highly viscous interfacial films retard the rate of oil-film drainage during the coalescence of the water droplets by providing a mechanical barrier to coalescence, which can lead to a reduction in the rate of emulsion breakdown.
Recommended Citation
Adhikari, Sangeet, "Cellulose Nanocrystal Stabilized Pickering Emulsions" (2017). Honors Theses. 820.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/820
Accessibility Status
Searchable text