Regeneration of aged transformer oil by adsorption using attapulgite-chitosan composite

The attapulgite-chitosan (AT-CS) composites were prepared from attapulgite (ATP) and chitosan (CS). The composites were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Brunner Emmet Teller (BET). There existed interaction between the hydroxyl groups on the surface of ATP with the oxygen-containing and amino groups of CS. The specific surface area of the AT-CS was higher than that of ATP, increased by 60.47%, which was 189.1272 m(2)/g. The physico-chemical properties of the regenerated oil after adsorption were found to approach the fresh oil. Moreover, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to observe that the oxidation by-products in the aged oil were removed by the AT-CS composite, clearly demonstrating the potential of using AT-CS as an adsorbent for transformer oil regeneration.

Automated summary

The attapulgite-chitosan composites were found to have a higher specific surface area compared to attapulgite, and they effectively removed oxidation by-products from aged oil, demonstrating their potential for use as adsorbents in transformer oil regeneration.