Impact of silver-nano-based demulsifier derived from acid- hydrolized corncob for water-in-oil separation
|
Full Text |
Pdf
|
|
Author |
Khaleel Jakada, Chizoma N. Adewumi, Ikechukwu Stanley Okafor, Temitayo S. Ogedengbe, Petrus Nzerem, Theresa Makama Njang-Inyang, Aisha Ibrahim Kanya, Saratu Danbauchi and Oche Emmanuel Oche
|
|
e-ISSN |
1819-6608 |
|
On Pages
|
141-151
|
|
Volume No. |
21
|
|
Issue No. |
3
|
|
Issue Date |
April 10, 2026
|
|
DOI |
https://doi.org/10.59018/022624
|
|
Keywords |
corncob, demulsifiers, emulsion, characterization, bottle test, nano-particle, bio-based demulsifiers.
|
Abstract
The petroleum industry has been faced with the challenges of separating water from crude oils to improve its market value; thus, the search for surfactants with high efficiency is desired. The study aims to evaluate a bio-based silver-nanoparticle demulsifier (MCP) derived from acid-hydrolyzed corncob at 180℃, focusing on its efficiency in breaking the water-in-oil emulsion. The potential of the MCP demulsifier to breakdown water-in-oil emulsions was compared with that of Microwaved acid-hydrolyzed corncob (MCC) demulsifier and a commercial demulsifier (Phase treat). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Gas chromatographic-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) were used to characterize the MCC, MCP, and phase treat. Bottle test analysis was used to determine the efficiency of emulsion separation by the demulsifiers. The results obtained from the XRD analysis reveal the amorphous nature of MCC, while MCP displayed sharp crystalline peaks. GC-MS analysis reveals the presence of surface-active amphiphilic compounds like acids, esters, alcohols, and other organic compounds with the capacity to effectively demulsify emulsions. FT-IR analysis affirms these compounds through the presence of O-H, C=O, C-O stretching vibrations. The SEM micrograph showed that MCP has smooth, regular, and small sized particle that reveal the formation of Nano-cellulose formation. Overall, the silver-nano-based demulsifier (MCP) exhibited a 93% separation efficiency compared to 68% for the microwaved corn cob demulsifier (MCC) and 49% for the commercial demulsifier. Thus, this study highlights the potential of an eco-friendly, low-cost, readily available bio-based nanoparticle demulsifier from corncob for effective emulsion separation and enhanced oil recovery in the petroleum industry. In addition, using these materials for demulsifier production will improve environmental sustainability.
Back