Polyamidoamine grafted with magnetic material (M-Gn-PAMAM): an efficient demulsifier for oil-contaminated industrial wastewater

A magnetic demulsifier, denoted M-G(n)-PAMAM (n = 1, 2, 3), was synthesized by reacting polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers with Fe3O4@SiO2. The characteristics of magnetic nano-polymer were investigated via using XRD analysis, FT-IR, TEM, and VSM methods. The as-prepared M-G(n)-PAMAM was highly effective at removing oil from wastewater produced from ASP flooding, with a maximum oil removal rate of 94% at 60 degrees C. Furthermore, the regeneration experiments illustrated that M-G(n)-PAMAM could be readily recovered by an external magnetic field and it could be recycled up to 9 times without a significant loss in demulsification efficiency. In conclusion, the magnetic demulsifier synthesized in this study could be a promising nanomaterial for use in emulsified oil-water separation.

Automated summary

This study successfully synthesized a magnetic nano-polymer with high demulsification efficiency. The magnetic nano-polymer achieved a 94% oil removal rate at 60 degrees Celsius and could be easily recovered and recycled using an external magnetic field.