Journal
ACS NANO
Volume 9, Issue 10, Pages 9930-9941Publisher
AMER CHEMICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.5b04880
Keywords
Pickering emulsion; ultrafiltration; underwater superoleophobic membranes; fouling prevention; oil/water separation
Categories
Funding
- IGERT: Water SENSE - Water Social, Engineering, and Natural Sciences Engagement program [1144635]
- ACS Petroleum Research Fund [54649-DNI9]
- Office of Naval Research [N00014-14-1-0809]
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Oil/water separations have become an area of great interest, as growing oil extraction activities are increasing the generation of oily wastewaters as well as increasing the risk of oil spills. Here, we demonstrate a membrane-based and fouling-free oil/water separation method that couples carbon nanotube-poly(vinyl alcohol) underwater superoleophobic ultrafiltration membranes with magnetic Pickering emulsions. We demonstrate that this process is insensitive to low water temperatures, high ionic strength, or crude oil loading, while allowing operation at high permeate fluxes and producing high quality permeate. Furthermore, we develop a theoretical framework that analyzes the stability of Pickering emulsions under filtration mechanics, relating membrane surface properties and hydrodynamic conditions in the Pickering emulsion cake layer to membrane performance. Finally, we demonstrate the recovery and recyclability of the nanomagnetite used to form the Pickering emulsions through a magnetic separation step, resulting in an environmentally friendly, continuous process for oil/water separation.
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